'It was terrifying to even think about jumping into the shoes that Robin Williams created': Will Smith reveals it was daunting playing Genie in Disney's Aladdin remake
Will Smith has admitted he found it 'terrifying' taking on the role of Genie in the live-action remake of Disney's Aladdin.
Speaking to Rove McManus in an interview for The Project on Tuesday, the 50-year-old said that he feared living up the performance the late Robin Williams gave to the role in the 1992 animated original.
'It was terrifying to even think about jumping into the shoes that Robin Williams created' he said.
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'It was terrifying to even think about jumping into the shoes that Robin Williams created': Will Smith (pictured) revealed on Tuesday it was daunting playing Genie in the Aladdin remake
Will added: 'He just smashed it, he revolutionised what you could do with animation.'
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The actor compared taking on the Genie to taking the lead in The Godfather.
'It's like, 'Hey Will, we're remaking The Godfather, we want you for the Al Pacino role',' he said.
Live action: Will admitted he found it 'terrifying' taking on the role of Genie in the live-action remake of Disney's Aladdin. Will is pictured in the role
It comes after Will said he found taking on the role 'stressful and daunting'.
Speaking to MailOnline before entering the European Gala Premiere of the film in London's Leicester Square he said: 'It was quite stressful and daunting, Robin Williams didn't leave much room to improve on the genie!
'You know that's what Robin Williams gave to the genie that was spectacular, and that was the thing that I was working really hard to capture but give it my flavour.
Hard shoes to fill: Will said of Robin Williams, 'He just smashed it, he revolutionised what you could do with animation.' Pictured voicing the role in 1992
Iconic: It comes after Will said he found taking on the role 'stressful and daunting'. Pictured: Disney's Aladdin in 1992
'The genie will say anything or do anything, there's a certain madness to the genie - that was the fun that Robin Williams created so I was trying to find what that meant, with a little more of a Fresh Prince flavour to it.
'I wanted to create something that was both nostalgic but also had a little bit new school sometimes.'
Williams voiced Genie in the original Aladdin, as well as the direct-to-video third film in the original franchise, Aladdin And The King Of Thieves.
Geni-ous! Williams voiced Genie in the original Aladdin, as well as the direct-to-video third film in the original franchise, Aladdin And The King Of Thieves. He later died in 2014
