It was a struggle to decide which of Aladdin's many side characters to include on this list. Abu is cute and has a tremendous amount of personality for a non-verbal character. The Genie is obviously a cinematic icon, but he's such an influential character that the label of sidekick doesn't seem quite appropriate. Then it becomes incredibly obvious: Iago. On paper, the character is a pretty generic cartoon baddie. He's an annoying parrot who schemes alongside Jafar, and it isn't until Iago is translated to film that he becomes amazing. For some reason, the fact that Gilbert Gottfried voices Iago changes the game entirely. His dulcet tones capture Iago's simmering rage perfectly, and create a great counterpoint to Jafar's emotional restraint. His anger and the contempt he has for everyone else is made hilarious because it kind of makes you wonder if that's how all parrots view humanity. After all, there's only so many times you can hear "Polly want a cracker?" before you snap and go Dark Side.
Audrey Fox is an ex-film student, which means that she prefers to spend her days in the dark, watching movies and pondering the director's use of diegetic sound. She currently works as an entertainment writer, joyfully rambling about all things film and television related. Add her on Twitter at @audonamission and check out her film blog at 1001moviesandbeyond.com.
