The animators for Aladdin have confirmed that their handsome hero was based off of Tom Cruise. Though Aladdin's original design was actually modeled after actor Michael J. Fox from Back to the Future. The animators found that their end result was "too cutesy" and they decided on they needed a more confident leading man and love interest for Princess Jasmine. In search of a bolder and hunkier model, the animators settled on Tom Cruise as their muse.