Who/what is your favorite Disney character? Mine is Mary Poppins but I also like Minnie Mouse.

[usonian]

41. Looking for his Disney roles, I found this gem.

https://www.complex.com/style/2014/08/robin-williams-was-given-a-picasso-during-aladdin-beef-with-disney

One of Robin Williams' most memorable roles was as Genie in Disney's classic 1992 film, Aladdin. What most fans don't know is that Williams and Disney (the company, not the man) didn't see eye-to-eye on certain aspects of the project, namely the merchandising.

According to an article in the November 1993 issue of New York Magazine, Williams' role in the movie was supposed to be a lot shorter, but he "wanted to leave something wonderful behind for his kids," so he ended up recording around 30 hours of written and improvised dialogue. Disney loved what he did what the character, so the film was rewritten to make Genie a pivotal character. Williams made less than he normally would for a film (only $75,000), but he had an agreement with the company that his voice would not be used to sell merchandise for the film. Everyone who was alive in 1992 knows that promises were not kept, and Williams was not very happy about it.

"I don't want to sell stuff," Williams told New York Magazine. "It's the one thing I don't do." He explained that the dolls made for the Mork and Mindy show were OK, because the makers of the show own the image, but that Disney crossed the line when they used his voice, a major part of who he is as a person and an entertainer, to sell merchandise. The company apologized and said that it wasn't their decision; then, they tried to make it all better by gifting Robin Williams a Pablo Picasso painting that was worth $1 million. The self-portrait is of the artist imitating another famous painter, Vincent Van Gogh. Williams didn't want the painting and once joked that he would make a copy of it so that the copy could be burned on television.

The burning of the Picasso didn't happen, but Disney and Williams eventually made up, and he went on to work with them for the Aladdin sequels and Jack, only to have another falling out after they made Bicentennial Man in 1999. Upon learning of his death last week, Disney's CEO Robert Iger released a statement, and the company sent out a tweet that called the actor "a true Disney legend" and a "beloved member of our family."

A brilliant comedian! I can only imagine how much of his work was ad-libbed.

Even his friends didn’t know how troubled he was, so I will ask how I/we can reach out to friends to find those hidden demons, if they exist and offer personal support and help them find therapy. Men, especially, are way too good at hiding their problems. My daughter, an Honors Psychology grad, thinks I have all kinds of syndromes, but I point to my neat handwriting, daily journal of progress with my music practice, photography, and positive (Buddhist) practice for myself and others. But it’s kind of isolated here, and I am making efforts to move where I can meet friends way more often.

Back to the piano shortly. Same iPad as this message is being sent with. I have gone (almost) completely electronic with my scores. Brighter! But I’ll definitely make more contact with friends. Maybe I’ll show off my photos on that same iPad. Electronics is wonderful but people are more than avatars and handles. I rarely get to San Francisco, but if I had met Robin, I’m sure that I would have offered him positivity. I got a pair of rainbow suspenders around the time he passed, for his Mork role. Now, more appropriate to support others.