I remembered getting the script for the auditions [of Aladdin], I had asked someone there if improvs were allowed, and he said everyone is sticking to the script. I said to myself that they are either going to love me or hate me. I was crossing out lines and throwing in my own lines. I went into the room and started doing things. They were like, "This boy is nuts! We should keep him." That's how it all came about.

I do enjoy that folks [ Howard Ashman, Tim Rice and Chad Beguelin] really get into [ Aladdin ] because I enjoy getting it. I love it where you just get to go nuts. Ninety percent of what you hear, he wrote. There's ten percent that he let me play around with in the studio and actually put in the script if it was funny enough.

When you see big people, they expect them to wobble or something. The whole feeling of bigger people in this country is so negative. This works for me.

There are people out there who pay their hard earned money to see a good show and people who work 9 to 5 and they saved their money and they want to see the best show possible.

I have to maintain the weight. This is the second show [Aladdin] that I have done where I am not allowed to technically lose any weight. I'm supposed to be big. It's impressive to see someone of my size.

I love to make people laugh and love to make people smile. The first time I performed and heard the applause, that was the sound that I wanted to hear for the rest of my life.

And also, folks live in a regular world, so when they come to our show [Aladdin], we want to take that away from them for a little bit. Just give them two hours to make up for the train that didn't come on time or the terrible news you get from TV.