Nothing to worry about: Smith on Massoud’s audition woes
Actor Will Smith has come out in support of his Aladdin co-star Mena Massoud, who revealed that he hadn’t had a single audition since playing the lead role in the live-action remake.
Smith, who played Genie to Massoud’s Aladdin, said he did not know about Massoud’s struggle, but considered him a great actor. “He is a spectacular actor, and he has nothing to worry about,” Smith told Variety on the red carpet of his upcoming animated film Spies in Disguise.
Massoud, in an interview with Daily Beast recently, revealed that Aladdin’s massive success at the box office — $1 billion — did nothing to his career.
“I’m kind of tired of staying quiet about it. I want people to know that it’s not always dandelions and roses when you’re doing something like Aladdin. ‘He must have made millions. He must be getting all these offers’ — It’s none of those things. I haven’t had a single audition since Aladdin came out.”
Massoud will next be seen in the upcoming streaming series Reprisal, a role that he had landed before Aladdin released.
“It’s wild to a lot of people. People have these ideas in their head. It’s like, I’m sitting here being like, OK, Aladdin just hit $1 billion. Can I at least get an audition? Like I’m not expecting you to be like, ‘Here’s Batman’. But can I just get in the room? Can you just give me a chance?” said Massoud, who beat out competition from 2,000 people to land the role.
MENA MASSOUD’S NEXT IS A ROLE HE GOT BEFORE ALADDIN