MAGIC CARPET RIDE
Canadian actor’s wishes come true with title role in Aladdin remake
In 2016, Disney decided it was going to mount a live-action version of its 1992 animated classic, Aladdin. So the studio searched the globe for actors to play the titular “street rat” in the fictional land of Agrabah.
Among a sea of thousands, producer Jonathan Eirich spotted Mena Massoud’s audition video and showed it to director Guy Ritchie, who saw something special in the 27-year-old Ryerson University theatre grad.
Massoud, who was born in Egypt and raised in Markham, Ont., and Toronto, had slowly been racking up acting credits with roles on the Canadian mystery-drama Open Heart and the Montreal-shot Jack Ryan opposite John Krasinski.
Next up, he’ll be seen playing a fictional aide to Damian Lewis as Toronto Mayor Rob Ford in the political drama Run This Town and he’s set to star opposite Abigail Spencer in Reprisal, a revenge series set to air on Hulu in the U.S.
Q How does it feel to have landed this role?
A It’s a dream come true. It means the world to me. It’s been the coolest coming back to Toronto. They put up a huge billboard welcoming me back home. Before I started this whole thing, the two groups of people I hoped would enjoy this the most were Torontonians and Egyptians.
Q What’s the movie’s appeal?
A I think it’s got universal themes that everyone can relate to. No matter how old you are or what colour skin you have, it’s a journey of personal identity, trying to figure out who you are as a person ... falling in love — those are themes I think everyone can relate to all around the world.
Q What sets this live-action remake apart from the animated version?
A We really dive deeper into the characters and the relationships between the characters. We get to see a little bit more of why Aladdin and Jasmine fall in love and how they support each other and the lessons the Genie is trying to teach Aladdin.
Q What was your favourite part about making the film?
A All the cool stuff I got to do. This was a ride. It was like going back to theatre school, but turned up a few more notches. I got to dance, sing, act, scuba dive, ride camels... I got to do the coolest stuff. I felt like James Bond, honestly.
Q What was it like working with Guy Ritchie?
A Speaking of action, that was a big part of why I was excited to work with him. He’s done a fantastic job of translating his style to a family movie. This one is for his family and he really put his heart into it.
Q Will Smith is an icon. What was it like meeting him and getting a chance to star in a movie alongside the Oscar nominee? A I’ve been watching Will Smith movies since I was a kid. Me and the boys would get together for Christmas or Easter and we’d put on a Will Smith film. So I was quite nervous. When I first met him, I forgot to introduce myself. He was there with Guy Ritchie so I thought Guy would break the ice, but he didn’t. So I had to walk away and come back and really introduce myself.
Q What is the movie or performance that you saw as a youngster that made you want to be an actor?
A It’s shifted a lot. When I was younger, I grew up with a tight rotation at home: Mrs. Doubtfire, Rush Hour, Miss Congeniality, Aladdin. Then when I got older, (Quentin) Tarantino really changed things for me. Q What would young Mena think about where he ended up today? A I think he’d be ecstatic and he’d probably say, ‘I wish you would have quit science earlier’ (laughs). Everything happens for a reason and I couldn’t be happier.