--- title: Robin Williams Outtakes from Aladdin description: Robin Williams outtakes from Aladdin canonical: https://time.com/4068275/robin-williams-aladdin-outcakes/ author: Olivia B. Waxman article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-10-09T18:43:32.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:43:50.642Z og:title: Watch Never-Before-Seen Robin Williams Outtakes from 'Aladdin' og:description: Robin Williams outtakes from Aladdin og:url: https://time.com/4068275/robin-williams-aladdin-outcakes/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: TIME og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Watch Never-Before-Seen Robin Williams Outtakes from 'Aladdin' twitter:description: Robin Williams outtakes from Aladdin twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production --- # Watch Never-Before-Seen Robin Williams Outtakes from _Aladdin_ > Sponsored content. 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Every edition is assembled by TIME editors rather than generated automatically. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-brief-2026q3/newsletters?i=03fa738d-ec32-4231-bcd2-59390d186857&cr=time-nl-brief-2026q3-v1) ## Video: 10 Questions for Robin Williams [Watch (HLS stream): 10 Questions for Robin Williams](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/e5SUiinR.m3u8) (5:56)  _Published 2011-04-14. The comedian and actor talks about playing a tiger in his first Broadway role, the war in Iraq and why it isn't always a good thing to be funny_  by [Olivia B. Waxman](https://time.com/author/olivia-b-waxman/)  ## Olivia B. Waxman Staff Writer Oct 9, 2015 6:43 PM UTC  by [Olivia B. Waxman](https://time.com/author/olivia-b-waxman/)  ## Olivia B. Waxman Staff Writer Oct 9, 2015 6:43 PM UTC [ABC’s _Good Morning America_](http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/video/outtakes-robin-williams-aladdin-34365579) aired a glimpse of never-before-seen outtakes that show the late comedic actor Robin Williams in a recording booth voicing the genie in _Aladdin._ The bonus outtakes of the Academy Award-winning actor, who died last year, are available on a new Blu-Ray edition of the 1992 classic Disney film, available Oct. 13. The morning show also reunited the creative minds behind the movie, who discussed the comic’s performance. When George Stephanopoulos asked if Williams could really sing, composer Alan Menken said that while “most of it ended up on the cutting room floor,” he “learned to.” Watch some of the outtakes and the interviews below: ### Robin Williams' Life in Pictures  Robin Williams in the 8th grade at Detroit Country Day School in Birmingham, Mich. in 1965. Courtesy Williams Family  In the 8th grade, Robin Williams, #15, played on the basketball team at Detroit Country Day School. Seth Poppel—Yearbook Library  Robin Williams in high school. Courtesy Robin Williams  Williams' played the spinach-loving sailor Popeye in its eponymous 1980 film. Paramount/AP  Robin Williams in September of 1981 Steve Ringman—San Francisco Chronicle/Corbis  Robin Williams with his mom, Laurie Williams, during the premiere of "Moscow on The Hudson" at Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills, Calif in 1984. Ron Galella—Wire Image/Getty Images  Robin Williams and Christopher Reeve at Silver Friedman's "The Original Improvisation" in New York in 1988. Jim Demetropoulos—Retna Ltd./Corbis  Robin Williams, third from right, dressed as a cheerleader on Nov. 12, 1979 with the Broncos' Pony Express cheerleaders during the filming of an episode of "Mork & Mindy," in Denver. AP  Robin Williams played radio DJ Adrian Cronauer in director Barry Levinson's comedy drama, Good Morning Vietnam in 1987. Touchstone Pictures/AP  Williams taught a generation to seize the day, to make their lives extraordinary, as John Keating in Dead Poets Society. Buena Vista Pictures  Williams played a grown up version of Peter Pan in the 1991 family classic Hook. TriStar Pictures  Williams lent his substantial talents to voicing Genie in Disney's 1992 animated film Aladdin. Disney  Household chores were no match for Robin Williams as he donned layers of prosthetics to play Mrs. Doubtfire in the 1993 movie of the same name. 20th Century Fox  Williams starred as Alan Parrish, a boy stuck inside a board game for twenty-six years in the 1995 film Jumanji. TriStar Pictures  Starring opposite a young Matt Damon, Williams played Dr. Sean Maguire, in the 1997 film Good Will Hunting. Miramax  Williams played a living android in the 1999 film Bicentennial Man. Buena Vista  Williams took on the likeness of Teddy Roosevelt in Ben Stiller's Night at the Museum. 20th Century Fox  Robin Williams and his family are seen with their dogs on May 2005\. From left to right: Kiwi (poodle), son Cody Williams, Robin Williams, daughter Zelda Williams, Marsha Williams and Mizu (poodle) Lacy Atkins—Emily Scott Pottruck/Trails of Devotion ## Transcript >> I'm not gonna lie. When I get hungry, I get stupid. Twelve years back, I screwed up, okay? I followed the scent. I took a bite and then, fhwipp-- >> A gold [ unk ] gun. >> a tranquilizer dart comes from out of nowhere, and I wake up in Baghdad. >> Sweet ass. >> So, that was depressing. >> Hi. I'm Belinda Luscombe. This is TIME Magazine's 10 Questions. Today, we are asking our questions of Robin Williams. Hello, Mr. Williams. >> Welcome, Ms. Luscombe. >> So, in your new play, the Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo, you're playing the tiger. >> Yes. >> How does one prepare to play a tiger? Prowling, little-- >> A little pacing, biting whenever possible. I'm basically playing the soul of a tiger, so I don't have to do a lot of tiger behavior except for that, but it's pretty much two- legged tiger 'cause I'm in a cage, and beginning to treat it more like jail. But it's, you know, the essence of a tiger with not a lot of-- no costume except for just beaten up clothing, you know. >> This is your Broadway debut in a serious Broadway play. >> Yeah. When I did Godot, it was under Broadway. >> That's right. >> That's about 20 years ago, actually. So, yeah, this is Broadway debut. >> And you left Juilliard in, what? 1975? >> Five, yeah. >> Yeah. So-- >> Exactly. I left school, I fell in love, and went back to live in San Francisco. >> This is actually a serious play. >> Uh- huh, very. >> And does your appearance in the play reflect any personal feelings you have about the Iraq war? >> You know, I've been there five times, Afghanistan six. My feelings are more about-- I mean, I'm still wondering, " Where are the weapons of mass destruction ." Even though they had Hussein, you had the guy himself, you think of anybody new. Saddam, what is it? I'm not telling. Too late, he's gone. How weird is that. Crazy. But my feelings about the war is just the idea of ghost especially in this war, is because I was just there recently, and you know, they're " winding down ." They're supposed to be out of there by Christmas next year. So, where do we come back from? What's the damage to the Iraqis? What's the damage to us? What do you leave for them when it just ends? You know, like he said, in the lines in the play about, " The Americans think when something dies, that's it, it's over ." But when you go to Middle East, you realize there's a real sense that things stay around. >> You did a stand- up tour in 2009 ,-- >> Right. >> Weapons of Self- destruction. >> Yes, yes. >> If I went to the right club on the right night, might I find you? Do you still have a-- >> I haven't been able to go out yet since I've started the play, but I think I'm gonna have to start to go out again 'cause it's about time, now, that I've the gig. >> Yeah. >> I can start to go out and, you know, do shows maybe on the weekends. And just I-- 'cause I've started, you know-- I'm starting to get the urge to go back in again. And it's important to go out and do it 'cause there's so much to talk about. The fact that Donald Trump wants to see Obama's birth certificate, it's kind of, " I wanna see his hairline first ." >> Absolutely. >> I think so. >> When did it stop? >> I believe the hair is actually him. I believe, at night, he walks into a small room, sits down and the hair goes, " Who should we marry next? We're going out! Put your name on that building !" >> Okay. Leading on from that question to that answer ,-- >> Leading onto that. >> Is being funny sometimes a hindrance to social interaction? >> Example, I was once walking in an airport, and a woman came up to me and said, " Be zany !" >> No. >> Big time. >> But what about with, say, family? Do you sometimes-- >> Oh, no. It's-- Years ago, my-- I was reading a story to my-- to my daughter. I was doing voices and everything and she turned to me and said, " Just read the story ." >> Ouch. >> Yeah. It was just-- >> Not. >> Yeah, it was just-- And just stay to the main points. >> Okay. No voices? >> No voices. Yeah, " Thanks dad ." >> How often does someone else make you laugh? >> Oh, big time. >> Is it kids? Or is it-- >> No. Kids do and comics, comedians that make me laugh, Chris Rock, Louis C. K ., Puddin Oswalt. I've now been hanging out with Mort Sahl and that's been a gift. I've been hanging out with him is two things. It's history, but it's also that he's amazingly funny and still has everything going and also in which which has been wonderful. >> So, you can-- when you get older as a comic, you stay funny, you can still-- what do you need to-- >> You try to stay funny as you get older as a comedian and then you get to this program, " Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. My name is Robin Williams. Thank you for coming to my show ." You try to stay funny, yeah. I mean, when you seem like that and [ unk ]. When you see these guys who are just still doing great, that's what keeps them alive. I mean, that's what keeps them going. >> Billy Crystal had said that stand- up is how comedians process things that are painful. >> Yeah. >> But does that mean we have to wish more painful things on you? Or-- >> You don't have to. I find them. I was coming in with-- you know, that concept of the Tourette's is the thing where people say kind of nasty things. Is there-- Is there another thing of like a positive Tourette's, like, " That dress is beautiful. Your legs are nice ?" So, everything is wonderful, like, " You really are lovely. Nice, nice eyes. Nice eyes !" Something like, " Your teeth are beautiful. Your teeth are beautiful, all of them ." >> Why do they have to get it the other way? >> Yeah. Oh, I think-- >> Do you think they did? >> But because-- it actually because it's the subconscious creeping out, but then you think, " Is there a nice side of your subconscious going, " I really like you. I just wanna pet you in a nice way ." >> You are sort of unique among comedians and I don't think you've actually written a book. >> No. I hope not to. >> You have not to? >> Especially biography. I mean, I have a lot of friends who are authors, who are great. I just don't have the discipline to do it. The learning is somewhat, but the discipline is to really sit down and write a book. Maybe, I've got to five years from now. I'm here with my new book, so that's the way you like it. But I don't think so. I think-- >> You know, you could just talk into a tape recorder and then someone will-- >> You're right. >> type it up. We do that here at TIME. >> Oh, then, I should do a book. >> I've got-- You've gone through all my questions. >> We did every question. 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