Genie wisdom! Will Smith has faith in Aladdin costar Mena Massoud after he opened up about not getting any auditions following the Disney remake.
“I’m just hearing that right now, so I haven’t spoken to Mena,” Smith, 51, told Variety on Wednesday, December 4. “He’s a spectacular actor and he has nothing to worry about.”
The Men in Black star played Genie in the 2019 Disney live-action remake of the classic film in which Massoud, 28, played the title character, Aladdin. Despite earning over $1 billion worldwide at the box office, the Egyptian-Canadian actor admitted during a recent interview with The Daily Beast that audition doors didn’t open up for him after the film was released.
“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,” Massoud told the publication on December 3. “‘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.”
The Reprisal actor was surprised that the big blockbuster wasn’t more rewarding for him, at least when it came to lining up his next role.
“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?,” he said. “Like, can you just give me a chance? So, it’s not always what you think.”
If you are looking to see Massoud in something new, look to Hulu. The Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan alum is set to star in the upcoming series, Reprisal, which drops on the streaming site on Friday, December 6.
As for Smith, the Pennsylvania native has a new film, Spies in Disguise, hitting theaters on December 25. In the meantime, he’s kept busy in the fashion world, launching his second Fresh Prince of Bel Air collection on November 26. The collection includes hoodies, snapbacks, duffel bags and more inspired by the actor’s ‘90s comedy series The Fresh Prince of Bel Air.
