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.
James Monroe IglehartI 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.
James Monroe IglehartWhen I was skinny, I didn't get work. When I came out of college, I didn't get work until the Iglehart gene kicked in. Most of my family are large and that's when it started happening. My acrobats moves stayed with me.
James Monroe IglehartI am still nervous every show. Not in the "Wow, I'm scared, I can't go on nervous," but the "I really want to do a good job and the give the audience a great show" kind of nervous. Oh, yes, the nerves are there, but I let them push me instead of holding me back.
James Monroe IglehartI keep "leave me alone, I'm busy " pretending to work sign with me because my dad once told me to find a job that you would do for free and I would do this job for free. But I would be a performer for free because that's all I've ever loved to do. I've worked so hard to get to the point where work doesn't feel like work. So when I come to work, I'm actually coming to play - I'm coming to recess. So, when you see me, leave me alone, I'm busy ... pretending to work.
James Monroe Iglehart