An Intimate Chat with Jodi Benson, the Voice of Ariel in The Little Mermaid

I was included on this tour as part of a media event promoting the re-release of The Little Mermaid.  My expenses on the trip were covered, but I was not otherwise compensated and my opinion remains my own.

In the movie, The Little Mermaid, Ariel was willing to give up her gorgeous voice for the sake of love, and in a recent interview with Jodi Benson, the woman who voiced Ariel in the movie released more than two decades ago, Benson acknowledged she’d do the same, if necessary.

Yes, that elegant, yet whimsical voice that captured the hearts of millions of mermaid fans, is still going strong and belting out beautiful music.  And yes, Benson, the woman behind the voice, admits if she had to go silent tomorrow to preserve the love she feels for her family today, she’d do it.

I asked her that question while sitting down to talk with her on a media trip to LA recently.  She and the writers and directors for The Little Mermaid shared all kinds of wonderful insider information about the making of the movie, now being re-released by Disney in its Diamond Edition on Blu-ray DVD October 1st.

I recorded a great deal of the interview, hoping you could hear in her own words about how she auditioned for the role, what happened when she got it, and how she ended up as the voice of Barbie in The Toy Story.  She also shares what it means to be part of the Disney Princess legacy, what she wants to be remembered for, and she even sings “Part of Your World” for our small group of media.  You can hear that by clicking here.  It’s stunning.

The rest of the videos are shown below.  I hope you enjoy this as much as I did when I met her.  Like Ariel, Jodi has an adventurous, loving spirit worthy of any other Disney princess I know.

Jodi on auditioning for the part:

Jodi on getting the part:

Jodi, about being thankful for getting the role and becoming Barbie in The Toy Story…also, about how the toy companies opposed Ariel having red hair.

Jodi, discussing whether she’d give up her voice for love, and what it’s like in her own home.

Jodi, on what she wants to be remembered for with her role as Ariel.

ABOUT DESIREE MILLER

Desiree Miller is a mother to children ranging in age from 19 to 8 and an award-winning veteran journalist with a background in television news who now also enjoys writing and vlogging at Stress Free, Baby, a site she created that provides a daily dose of humor, hope and inspiration. She loves travel and shares stories on Traveling Mom and the upcoming 60 Second Escapes. Awarded ‘Atlanta's Top Mom Blogger' by WXIA, Desiree enjoys a focus on Atlanta, as well, and hosts the Atlanta Baby & Child Expo each year for expectant and new parents.