Scott Weinger, best known for voicing Aladdin in Disney’s 1992 animated classic, reflects on his first encounter with the late Robin Williams, a meeting that has left an indelible mark on him even a decade after Williams’ passing.
At just 15 years old, Weinger was introduced to Williams during the early days of the film’s production. The legendary comedian, who passed away on August 11, 2014, at 63, was set to bring the character of the Genie to life. “When I first met him, they said, ‘This is Scott, he’s Aladdin,’ and he shook my hand and said, ‘I’ll be your genie,'” Weinger recalls fondly. The moment, he notes, was not only memorable but also incredibly cool.
Growing up, Weinger was an avid admirer of Williams’ work. He fondly remembers that Williams’ 1980 film Popeye was one of the two movies his family owned when they first got a VCR. By the time Weinger secured his role in Aladdin, Williams’ 1989 film Dead Poets Society had become his “ultimate, ultimate favorite movie.”
Throughout the recording of Aladdin, Weinger and Williams often shared studio time, thanks to Williams’ penchant for improvisation. Weinger vividly recalls one session where Williams’ humor was so contagious that it led him and others in the studio to laugh uncontrollably. “I tried all of my professional actorly discipline to not laugh, but eventually, it got to be too much, and I just hit the floor,” he says.
Despite the success of Aladdin, Weinger and Williams maintained a more distant relationship in the years following the film’s release, reconnecting only occasionally at events. Yet, Weinger remains deeply moved by his experiences with Williams. “All I can say is that he was a one of a kind person. He was somebody that I was very fortunate to meet,” he reflects. “People talk about him like he was this mystical figure. To be in his orbit for a little while and to be associated with him forever thanks to this movie, I feel very privileged.”
Scott Weinger’s heartfelt memories of Robin Williams serve as a poignant reminder of the profound impact the late comedian had on those around him, both personally and professionally.
