Canadian 鈥淎laddin鈥� star Mena Massoud says his wild carpet ride to movie stardom has been bewildering, and humbling.
But the affable, Toronto-bred actor says it鈥檚 just the beginning of what he hopes is a long career that will include championing homegrown productions and supporting talent from a diverse range of racial backgrounds.
The Egyptian-born Massoud was relatively unknown before snagging the lead role in the live-action Disney remake of the animated children鈥檚 tale in theatres now.
He says he 鈥渓ived in a closet鈥� in a friend鈥檚 apartment to save money for a few months when he moved to Los Angeles two and a half years ago, until he booked a role on the Amazon episodic thriller 鈥滼ack Ryan,鈥� which he shot in Montreal.
Now the 27-year-old finds himself in a big-budget feature helmed by U.K. director Guy Ritchie and sharing top billing with industry veteran Will Smith, who plays the wise-cracking, blue-tinted Genie.
Massoud seized on the revamp鈥檚 mission to feature a diverse cast and a more empowered female heroine, a headstrong Princess Jasmine with political aspirations, played by Naomi Scott.
He鈥檚 also mindful of an impressionable young audience that will be drawn to this film, boasting about a cast that includes actors with heritage from Tunisia, India, Turkey and Iran.
鈥溾�楢laddin鈥� was one of the few things that I watched as a kid where I was like, 鈥極h, that guy looks like me and has a similar culture to mine,鈥欌�� Massoud says in a whirlwind round of interviews in Toronto on Thursday.
鈥淚 mean, my first role, my first ACTRA gig where I got to join the union was 鈥楢l Qaeda No. 2鈥� on a show called 鈥楴ikita.鈥� So it鈥檚 been a struggle for people of colour and I don鈥檛 think it鈥檚 enough to celebrate one group of minorities. We鈥檝e got to celebrate all diverse artists and actors and 鈥楢laddin鈥� does that really well.鈥�
Wish granted. Tickets are now available for Disney鈥檚 , in theaters May 24.
鈥� Disney鈥檚 Aladdin (@disneyaladdin)
He admits it was challenging on many fronts to play a rakish thief who darts through crowded markets by leaping from roof tops while singing his heart out.
In addition to acting, singing and dancing, Massoud says he learned to scuba dive, juggle, ride a camel and perfect basic parkour moves including somersaults, cartwheels, flips and slides.
And then there was the day he was greeted on set with news he needed to learn to play the oud, a classical Middle Eastern string instrument.
鈥淎nd I was like, 鈥榃hat?鈥欌�� he recalls.
鈥淎nd then 鈥� on the day-of, Guy was like, 鈥榊ou know what? We鈥檙e actually going to get Naomi to play it because it makes more sense if Jasmine plays it.鈥� So that鈥檚 show business for you.鈥�
Such demands are all in service of a long-term career for Massoud, who says he鈥檚 dreamed of becoming an actor since he was a kid, even dropping out of a neuroscience program to study theatre at Ryerson University.
But he also has an eye on producing films through his own production company, and promoting a diverse talent pool in Toronto through a project he calls the EDA Foundation, or the Ethnically Diverse Artists Foundation.
Its goal is 鈥漷o support and really make the path easier for ethnically diverse artists in Toronto,鈥� he says.
Then there鈥檚 Evolving Vegan, a company he founded to promote veganism through an IGTV series currently on Instagram. There are also plans for a book and a travelling culinary TV series that would highlight more than 50 vegan and vegetarian establishments in 10 different cities across North America.
鈥淚t would kind of be like Anthony Bourdain, but vegan-style,鈥� he explains.
Of course, there鈥檚 more on the acting horizon, too.
Next, Massoud heads to North Carolina to star opposite Abigail Spencer in the Hulu drama 鈥淩eprisal,鈥� which he calls: 鈥渧ery different, very dark and dramatic.鈥�
Amid all his interests, Massoud insists acting is his primary passion.
鈥淚鈥檝e always envisioned working with the best directors in the world,鈥� he says, citing Christoph Waltz as inspiration.
鈥淐hristoph Waltz, you know, blew up in Hollywood at a very old age. He won two Oscars back-to-back so I thought, 鈥榊ou know what? Even if it happens when I鈥檓 50, that鈥檚 fine.鈥� You know, I鈥檒l always keep going, always keep trying.
鈥淭o have (鈥楢laddin鈥�) happen now is a blessing.鈥�
READ MORE:
READ MORE:
Cassandra Szklarski, The Canadian Press
Like us on and follow us on .
