Jasmine (Disney character) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Jasmine |
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| Aladdin character | |
Jasmine as she appears in Disney's Aladdin.
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| First appearance | Aladdin (1992) |
| Created by |
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| Portrayed by |
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| Voiced by |
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| Based on | Badroulbadour from the Antoine Galland's fairy tale |
| Information | |
| Affiliation | Disney Princesses |
| Title | Princess of Agrabah |
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| Spouse(s) | Aladdin |
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| Nationality | Agrabah |
Jasmine is a fictional character who appears in Walt Disney Pictures' 31st animated feature film Aladdin (1992). Voiced by American actress Linda Larkin – with a singing voice provided by Filipina singer Lea Salonga – Jasmine is the spirited Princess of Agrabah, who has grown weary of her life of palace confinement. Despite an age-old law stipulating that the princess must marry a prince in time for her upcoming birthday, Jasmine is instead determined to marry someone she loves for who he is as opposed to what he owns. Created by directors Ron Clements and John Musker with screenwriters Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio, Jasmine is based on Badroulbadour, a princess who appears in the One Thousand and One Nights folktale "Aladdin and the Magical Lamp."
Originally conceived as a spoiled, materialistic princess, the writers eventually rewrote Jasmine into a stronger and more prominent heroine following the elimination of Aladdin's mother from the script, while borrowing story elements from the romantic comedy Roman Holiday (1953). Several months after securing the role, Larkin was nearly fired from the project because Disney executive Jeffrey Katzenberg felt that her voice was not suitable for a princess, but Clements and Musker managed to convince him otherwise. Discovered by casting director Albert Tavares, Lea Salonga was cast as Jasmine's singing voice based on her performance in the musical Miss Saigon; this unprecedented casting decision made Jasmine the first Disney Princess to have her speaking and singing voices provided by two different actresses. Animated by Mark Henn, Jasmine's design is an eclectic combination of unique sources, including an anonymous theme park guest, Henn's own sister, and actress Jennifer Connelly.
Unlike most of Disney's princesses, Jasmine is a supporting character in her own film, taking the secondary role of the love interest. The character has garnered mixed to positive reviews, with much of her character arc compared unfavorably to her predecessors Ariel from The Little Mermaid (1989) and Belle from Beauty and the Beast (1991), but has been praised for her personality and her chemistry with Aladdin. She is the sixth Disney Princess and the franchise's first non-European member, as well as its first West Asian princess. Due to this, the character is credited with introducing racial diversity to Disney's princess genre. Jasmine has made subsequent appearances in Aladdin's sequels The Return of Jafar (1994) and Aladdin and the King of Thieves (1996), as well as its television series and a Broadway musical adaption of the film. Both Larkin and Salonga have been awarded Disney Legends for their contributions to the role. Naomi Scott played the character in the 2019 live-action adaptation of the original 1992 film.
Contents
Appearances
Films and television series
Jasmine debuted in Aladdin (1992) as the Princess of Agrabah, daughter of the Sultan. Frustrated with constantly having decisions made for her and being pressured into marrying a prince by law, Jasmine disguises herself as a peasant and escapes the palace. In the nearby marketplace, Jasmine befriends street thief Aladdin after he rescues her from an angry vendor who very nearly chops her hand off. Escaping to Aladdin's hideout, the pair bonds over the realization that they both feel trapped in their own environments and long for better lives. When Aladdin is soon arrested by the palace guards, Jasmine demands his immediate release only to find her orders overruled by Jafar, the Sultan's scheming grand vizier. When the princess confronts Jafar, he lies and tells her that Aladdin has already been executed, leaving Jasmine distraught and blaming herself for his death; in reality, Jafar is using Aladdin to retrieve a magical lamp containing a genie. When the Genie, who saves and befriends Aladdin, grants his wish to be transformed into a prince to better his chances of wooing Jasmine, Aladdin introduces himself to her as "Prince Ali." Although initially unimpressed, Jasmine is charmed after joining him on a magic carpet ride, at the end of which she discovers that the prince is, in fact, the same peasant she met in the marketplace. However, Aladdin convinces Jasmine that he truly is a prince who, much like her, only occasionally disguises himself as a commoner. When Jafar learns the truth about Aladdin, he steals the lamp and becomes the Genie's master, banishing Aladdin and forcing the Genie to make him Sultan, while enslaving both Jasmine and her father. After refusing to marry him, Jasmine kisses Jafar to distract him while Aladdin returns in time to trick Jafar into wishing himself into a genie and thus trapping himself within the lamp. Jasmine and the Sultan are finally freed, and she and Aladdin become engaged after the Sultan abolishes the law so that Jasmine can legally marry whomever she chooses.
Following the success of Aladdin, Jasmine appears in the film's two direct-to-video sequels, in both of which Larkin reprises her role as the character, with Liz Callaway replacing Salonga as her singing voice. The first, The Return of Jafar (1994), features Jasmine as she begins to question her trust in Aladdin after he defends Jafar's former pet parrot, Iago, who escapes Jafar's lamp and rescues Aladdin from bandits, hoping to make amends with the royal family. However, Iago manages to convince the princess that she still very much trusts Aladdin. Jasmine eventually befriends Iago after he helps mend her and Aladdin's relationship, frees the Genie, and ultimately risks his life to destroy Jafar once and for all, who has returned seeking vengeance. In the second, Aladdin and the King of Thieves (1996), Jasmine's long-awaited wedding to Aladdin is interrupted by the Forty Thieves. The Oracle, which the thieves are attempting to steal, reveals that Aladdin's father Cassim is still alive and is their leader. Encouraging Aladdin to pursue his father, Jasmine agrees to postpone the wedding, but can't help but worry for him during his absence. When Aladdin finally returns to Agrabah with Cassim and introduces him, Jasmine and the Sultan take an immediate liking to him. However, Cassim is soon imprisoned by the Sultan after he attempts to steal the Oracle again. Aladdin frees Cassim and accepts punishment for his actions until Jasmine convinces her father that he was only helping is father out of love. Iago returns to inform them that Cassim has been captured by Sa'luk and the remaining Thieves. Jasmine goes with Aladdin to rescue his father, and afterward they return for their wedding, which Cassim attends from the shadows. They go for a ride on Carpet, waving goodbye to the Merchant from the first film and Iago and Cassim as they ride off. Jasmine appears in the animated television series based on the film, which originally aired from 1994 to 1995.
Jasmine, alongside the other Disney Princesses, appears in the film Ralph Breaks the Internet, as was announced at the 2017 D23 Expo.
Naomi Scott portrays Jasmine in a live-action adaptation of the 1992 film. The film's storyline depicts her mother to originate from Agrabah's neighboring kingdom of Sherebad, desiring to improve her people's lives as sultana despite traditions and Jafar manipulating the Sultan for his own ends. In the end of the film, Jasmine becomes Agrabah's first sultana with the power to legally marry whomever she chooses.
Broadway musical
Jasmine appears in the Broadway musical adaptation of Aladdin, which premiered at the New Amsterdam Theatre in March 2014. The role was originated by actress Courtney Reed, becoming her first time originating a Broadway character after appearing in minor roles in Broadway productions such as In the Heights and Mamma Mia! Reed had grown up a longtime fan of Disney films and princesses, and, being of mixed ethnicity, cites Jasmine as her favorite princess because "she was my first experience seeing a Disney princess who looked like me ... So I thought, 'Wow, I can be like her'," while the others tend to have blond hair and blue eyes. Equally a fan of the film itself, the actress' childhood home included an Aladdin-themed room used to store toys; Reed also portrayed Aladdin's pet monkey Abu in a Children's Theatre of Elgin production of the film, although she had really wanted to be cast as Jasmine. Despite having already been associated with the project since its early beginnings and initial readings in 2010, Reed auditioned for the role for director Casey Nicholaw in Seattle before the production finally relocated to Broadway, selected out of only a few actresses who were invited to audition. Unlike co-stars Adam Jacobs and Jonathan Freeman, who portray Aladdin and Jafar, respectively, Reed was the only main cast member required to audition.
After learning she had been cast, Reed hired a personal trainer and practiced a healthier diet to prepare herself for her revealing costumes in which she exposes her midriff as the character. In the musical, Jasmine resembles an even stronger, more spirited character than the film version, specifically the way in which she fights against marriage laws and men who wish to control her. Reed believes her character changed the most during workshops as the show traveled from Seattle to Toronto, and finally Broadway, including the replacement of an original musical number with "These Palace Walls," which composer Alan Menken wrote specifically for Reed. Described by Reed as "a really beautiful song" that "sets up her character," "These Palace Walls" narrates Jasmine's desire to explore the world beyond the confines of the palace, despite being grateful for everything her father has already provided her with. Reed originally found performing "A Whole New World" particularly daunting because, as the film's most famous song, "everyone has these very specific ideas of what they think it should look like or sound like," in addition to feeling pressured to match Salonga's performance, of whom she is a fan.
Miscellaneous
According to the website Behind the Voice Actors, there are currently over 19 animated iterations of Princess Jasmine from various film, television and video game appearances, with Larkin having voiced 16 of them. As a member of the Disney Princess franchise, Jasmine's likeness is used in a wide variety of merchandise, including magazines, books, toys, video games, clothes, stationery and school supplies. In 2013, Jasmine's design within Disney Princess marketing was updated, garnering mild controversy because some critics accused the character's skin color of being lightened. The character appears in the film Disney Princess Enchanted Tales: Follow Your Dreams, starring in the segment "More Than a Peacock Princess." Having grown weary of her usual princess duties, Jasmine demands more responsibility from the Sultan, who assigns her the position of Royal Assistant Educator at the Royal Academy, a job she actually finds quite difficult due to its rowdy pupils, until she learns to exercise patience and perseverance. The character is also challenged with retrieving the Sultan's horse Sahara, after he goes missing from the stables in order to save the stable boy's job. In print, Jasmine appears in the manga Kilala Princess among several other Disney Princesses, although they never interact with each other.
In addition to starring in her own television series based on Aladdin, Jasmine has made cameo appearances in the Disney Channel animated series Hercules: The Animated Series and House of Mouse. In the film Mickey's Magical Christmas: Snowed in at the House of Mouse (2001), she was voiced by actress Bobbi Page. In June 2013, Jasmine appeared in the Disney Junior animated series Sofia the First, with both Larkin and Salonga reprising the respective roles. This occasion marked the character's first television appearance since House of Mouse more than 10 years prior.
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Jasmine appears in several video game adaptations of the Aladdin film series, specifically Disney's Aladdin in Nasira's Revenge (2001), in which Jafar's twin sister Nasira plots to avenge her brother's death by capturing Jasmine and the Sultan. Jasmine becomes a playable character at certain points throughout the game, navigating levels stealthily by hiding in a large vase. The princess also appears as a non-playable character in the Kingdom Hearts video game series as one of the seven Princesses of Heart captured by Maleficent, each of whom is essential to fulfilling the villain's evil plan. Jasmine has appeared in the installments Kingdom Hearts (2002), Kingdom Hearts II (2005), and Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days (2009). Jasmine's kingdom is one of four featured in Disney Princess: Enchanted Journey (2007), which players taking on the role of their own customizable princess can explore via portals to solve various minigames and puzzles, equipped with a magic wand. Common Sense Media identified Jasmine's kingdom as among the game's more challenging environments. Jasmine appears in Kinect: Disneyland Adventures (2011), located in Adventureland. In 2015, Disney Interactive released figurines of both Jasmine and Aladdin for Disney Infinity 2.0: Marvel Super Heroes (2014). Jasmine became the fifth Disney Princess to be officially added to the game, as well as the first to be made available as a figurine. In Disney Infinity 2.0, Jasmine is equipped with a magic carpet in addition to the ability to summon wind and cyclones, inflicting various consequences upon enemies and targets. In print, an illustrated version of Jasmine appears in the book Tales from Agrabah: Seven Original Stories of Aladdin and Jasmine (1995), a collection of stories written by author Katherine Applegate that details the lives of the two main characters prior to the events of the film, including how Jasmine came to meet her pet tiger Rajah.
In September 2016, a live-action version of Jasmine debuted as a recurring character in the sixth season of the fantasy television series Once Upon a Time, in which she is portrayed by actress Karen David. The character makes a brief first appearance in the season's fourth episode, "Strange Case," before finally starring in the fifth, "Street Rats," in which Jasmine enlists the help of Aladdin to locate a powerful item capable of interrupting Jafar's control over the Sultan. As has become custom with Once Upon a Time's plots, creative liberties were taken with the original film, including Jasmine taking Aladdin to the Cave of Wonders instead of Jafar and the absence of the pair developing romantic feelings for each other, although the iconic scene in which Jasmine is imprisoned in an hourglass is retained. Jasmine's blue outfit was slightly modified for the series. David had previously expressed interest in playing an ethnic Disney heroine such as Pocahontas, Esmeralda or Jasmine on Once Upon a Time, and was finally cast as the third in July 2016. The actress described preparing for the role as exciting yet "nerve-wracking," because "she's such an iconic and beloved character and all the fans have their idealism of what she should and shouldn't be," longing to please fans of both the original film and character.
Disney has gradually been introducing new, modified versions of princess costumes at the Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. In September 2016, Jasmine's outfit received a "modest" makeover at; a redesigned, less revealing version of the character's blue outfit from the film debuted at both Disney World and Disneyland after 24 years. The costume consists of long sleeves, new shoes, full-length top concealing her midriff, high neckline, and a modified hairstyle while retaining the original turquoise-blue color from the films. Her pants have been replaced with a floor-length dress. A gold belt featuring an embroidered design of Rajah's face has also been added to the costume. Jasmine introduced her new outfit to guests with a public appearance at the first Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party. Although similar modifications were made to Pocahontas' and Mulan's costumes, Jasmine's redesign has inspired the most controversial response from the public. When questioned, park attendants and cast members explain that the redesigns were made to be more accurate to the cultures from which the characters hail, although Jasmine is from the fictional kingdom of Agrabah. Rachel Paige of HelloGiggles identified the main reason for the dramatic modifications is because several park guests were complaining about the character's exposed midriff and its effects on young girls; Paige defended that the outfit is in accordance to the location and time period in which the film is set. The redesign is expected to gradually begin to appear at other Disney theme parks around the world as well.
Park meet and greets
Jasmine along with Aladdin is a meetable character at all the Disney Parks and Resorts and is usually located in Adventureland.
Images for kids
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Actress Audrey Hepburn's role as Princess Ann, a bored princess, in the film Roman Holiday (1953) provided inspiration for Jasmine's story line.
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Actress Linda Larkin provides Jasmine's speaking voice; six months after being cast, Disney executive Jeffrey Katzenberg insisted that she was required to re-audition for the role.
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Actress Jennifer Connelly inspired Jasmine's appearance.
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See also
In Spanish: Jasmín (Disney) para niños
