Beloved Little Mermaid Star Jodi Benson Makes a Special Appearance in Live-Action Film
Jodi Benson, the original voice of Ariel in Disney’s 1989 animated classic The Little Mermaid, shares a deep friendship with director Rob Marshall that spans four decades.
Before Benson became the iconic voice of Ariel, she was an actress in the vibrant theater scene of New York City. “I knew Robbie when he was a dancer in various shows, and I believe my husband [actor Ray Benson] and he performed together in a musical, where Robbie was part of the dance ensemble,” Benson reveals.
When Marshall made his directorial debut in the world of theater with a touring production of Chess in 1990, he cast Benson as one of the lead roles. Thus, when the opportunity arose years later to create a new adaptation of The Little Mermaid, it was a natural choice to include Benson, given their shared history.
“We thought, ‘It would be perfect to have her in it, as long as it felt organic and not forced,'” Marshall explains.
Related – Original Ariel Jodi Benson Says Updating Little Mermaid’s Song Lyrics ‘Was a Must’
In the current rendition of The Little Mermaid (currently in theaters), Benson makes a brief appearance in Queen Selena (Noma Dumezweni) and Prince Eric’s (Jonah Hauer-King) Caribbean kingdom. As Ariel (Halle Bailey) embarks on her first exploration of the human world after transforming, she becomes disoriented in a bustling local marketplace.
Amidst the confusion, she encounters a woman who offers her a plate of food. However, Ariel realizes she needs a utensil to eat the meal. In a heartwarming moment, Benson’s character hands Ariel a fork, which the mermaid promptly uses as a makeshift hair comb. Marshall describes it as “passing the torch,” or, in Scuttle’s words, passing the dinglehopper.
The scene was already part of the screenplay by David Magee. In the 1989 film, Ariel combs her hair with a fork at the prince’s dining table. However, Marshall felt this wouldn’t be appropriate for a dinner guest, even a mermaid, to groom themselves at the start of a meal. As a result, they reimagined the scene within the bustling marketplace. When considering how to incorporate Benson into the story, this particular moment came to the forefront.
“It was an immense thrill for me when Robbie reached out. I immediately said, ‘Of course, I’ll be there! No matter what else I have going on, I just can’t wait to be on set and witness all of you working,'” Benson recalls. “It was pure joy for me.”
Related – Heartwarming Moment at ‘The Little Mermaid’ Premiere: Halle Bailey and Jodi Benson Unite
We had a chance to talk to Ariel earlier this year when Jodi Benson came on our podcast to discuss her new book Part of My World. You can listen to the episode below.
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