Jodi Benson

From The Film Guide

Jodi Benson (born October 10, 1961) is a U.S. voice actress and singer, best known for providing the voice of Disney's Princess Ariel in The Little Mermaid. She was born in Rockford, Illinois, attended Millikin University, and is married to actor and composer, Ray Benson. Jodi and Ray are both born again Christians who are vocal about their faith in God. Jodi has also performed in several Broadway productions.

In 2002 and 2006, she reprised the role of Ariel in the Kingdom Hearts video game series.

[edit] Filmography

1984 Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (voice) - Lastelle's Mother (2004 Disney Dub)
1989 Thumbelina (voice) - Thumbelina
1989 The Little Mermaid (voice) - Ariel, Vanessa
1991 Pirates of Dark Water TV Series (voice) - Tula
1991 Disney Sing-Along-Songs: Under the Sea (voice, archive footage) - Ariel
1992 The Little Mermaid TV Series (voice) - Ariel
1994 Disney Sing-Along-Songs: Circle of Life (voice, archive footage) - Ariel
1996 Disney Sing-Along-Songs: Friend Like Me (voice, archive footage) - Ariel
1996 Guideposts Junction, a six-part Christian video series for children - Herself
1997 Flubber (voice) - Weebo
1997 A Christmas Carol (voice) - Belle
1998 Mighty Kong, The (voice) - Ann Darrow
1998 Hercules TV Series (voice) - Helen of Troy
1998 A Bug's Life (Videogame) - Atta
1999 Toy Story 2 (voice) - Tour Guide Barbie/Barbie on Backpack
1999 Wish Upon a Starfish (voice) - Ariel
1999 Hercules: Zero to Hero (voice) - Helen of Troy
1999 Giggles (voice) - Ariel
2000 Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea, The (voice) - Ariel
2000 Joseph: King of Dreams (voice) - Asenath
2000 Grandia II (voice) - Millenia/Reena
2001 House of Mouse TV Series (voice) - Ariel/Belle
2001 Lady and the Tramp II: Scamp's Adventure (voice) - Lady (Segment "Pidge")
2001 Mickey's Magical Christmas: Snowed In at the House of Mouse (voice) - Ariel
2001 Balto II: Wolf Quest (voice) - Jenna
2001 The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy - The Blue Fairy
2002 Kingdom Hearts (voice) - Ariel
2002 Rapsittie Street Kids: Believe in Santa (voice) - Lenee
2003 101 Dalmatians II: Patch's London Adventure (voice) - Anita
2003 Mickey's PhilharMagic (voice) (uncredited) - Ariel
2004 Balto III: Wings of Change (voice) - Jenna
2005 Camp Lazlo (voice) - Patsy Smiles, Ms. Jane Doe, Almondine Owl.
2006 Kingdom Hearts 2 (voice) - Ariel
2007 The Little Mermaid III (voice) - Ariel

[edit] Discography

1992 Jodi Benson Sings Songs From the Beginner's Bible
1992 Little Mermaid: Splash hits
1992 Crazy For You Cast Recording
1993 Songs from the Sea
1994 Unsung Musicals
1995 Songs of Guideposts Junction
1996 Hollywood Christmas (Various artists)
2000 Little Mermaid II Soundtrack

[edit] Trivia

Mrs. Benson seems incapable of escaping her Little Mermaid legacy. In the Guideposts Junction video series, one character jokingly asked if Jodi knew anything about mermaids. The Mighty Kong featured one scene in which the lead female character (whose voice she provided), swam through the water, her hair flowing about in an Ariel-like fashion. She even provided the voice for a character called Aquagirl in an episode of Batman Beyond. Fortunately, Ms. Benson seems to have no regrets about her Little Mermaid role. She says that she never gets tired of singing Part of Your World, her trademark song from this movie.

Also of note, Ms. Benson played Ariel again in the video game Kingdom Hearts, portraying the only female fighter in the game; she is also in Kingdom Hearts II, playing Ariel, who this time around doesn't fight but rather sings in musicals.

Fittingly enough, Ms. Benson performs the song Disneyland on the Unsung Musicals compliation CD. This song was originally performed by her in the short-lived Broadway musical Smile, long before she became affiliated with the Disney Corporation.

[edit] External links

This page uses content from the English Wikipedia. The original article was at Jodi Benson. The list of authors can be seen in the page history. As with THEfilmGUIDE, the text of Wikipedia is available under the GNU Free Documentation License.