Will Smith responds to critics of his casting in 'Aladdin' remake

Will Smith plays Genie in Disney's new live-action adaptation of the 1992 animated hit "Aladdin." Of the film's seven top-billed actors, only Smith is not of Middle Eastern or Indian descent, raising the question as to why Disney didn't dig a little deeper for the star of its film.

Will Smith at the premiere of Aladdin at El Capitan Theatre Los Angeles on May 21, 2019. [Photo: IC]

Smith seemed eager to talk about the matter at the film's Hollywood premiere. "My family's been very outspoken for the past few years around the idea of diversity and even more critical in Hollywood because of how far the images go out into the world," said Smith "I mean I feel very comfortable. I loved being in the Middle East, actually shooting in the Middle East. I think there are a lot of misconceptions, that just our presence there can address and sort of diffuse a lot of the misconceptions, without even having to to talk about it. So, you know, this movie's all wins for me."

Iranian-American character actor Navid Megahban, who portrays Sultan in the new "Aladdin," said he gets that some have issues with Smith, but, ultimately, it's talent, not ethnicity, that should be the top consideration -- and that Smith was simply the best choice.

(Story includes material sourced from AP)