Jodi Benson
Birthday: 10 October 1961, Rockford, Illinois, USA
Birth Name: Jodi Marzorati
Height: 165 cm
Jodi Benson, a native of Rockford, Illinois, has received worldwide recognition and critical acclaim as the voice of "Ariel" in the Academy Award-winning Walt Disney animated feature film, T ...Show More
I really like worship music. It settles my soul. Gets me back on track. The lyrics are almost like a Show more
I really like worship music. It settles my soul. Gets me back on track. The lyrics are almost like a prayer, so it's my go-to. Hide
I think good entertainment makes you feel something... it can be a variety of different feelings.
I think good entertainment makes you feel something... it can be a variety of different feelings.
I love working for Disney! They are my family.
I love working for Disney! They are my family.
I was very flattered when Disney Junior reached out and invited me to come voice Ariel for this spec Show more
I was very flattered when Disney Junior reached out and invited me to come voice Ariel for this special primetime edition of 'Sofia the First.' As the parent myself, I really appreciate the positive messages that this animated series is trying to put out there. Hide
All I've been a part of has been thanks to the Disney company: the job, experience, travel, opportun Show more
All I've been a part of has been thanks to the Disney company: the job, experience, travel, opportunities have come thanks to Disney. Working for Disney was not part of my original plan, but it was part of God's, and it shows that God is still moving. Hide
I homeschool, so the start of the day is reading Bible scripture, memorization, and prayer.
I homeschool, so the start of the day is reading Bible scripture, memorization, and prayer.
I have a studio at my house, and there is a sister studio for Disney which is about 45 minutes away, Show more
I have a studio at my house, and there is a sister studio for Disney which is about 45 minutes away, and we haven't dropped a beat. In the art of animation and voiceover work, you can pretty much work from anywhere. Hide
What I look for in a project or partner is integrity and character; I love the concept of family ent Show more
What I look for in a project or partner is integrity and character; I love the concept of family entertainment and crosses over the generations, where you can sit kids with their grandparents and everyone has a good time. Those are the qualities that I want to bring to viewers. Hide
I have a lot of mermaid stuff. I did start collecting a lot before I had children because I didn't k Show more
I have a lot of mermaid stuff. I did start collecting a lot before I had children because I didn't know if I would have a boy or a girl. So I saved everything. Hide
I've done a variety of projects in different areas of the entertainment industry.
I've done a variety of projects in different areas of the entertainment industry.
I think God calls and encourages us to dream big, but sometimes we put God in a box in a very small Show more
I think God calls and encourages us to dream big, but sometimes we put God in a box in a very small way, when God wants us to look outside the box. Hide
'The Little Mermaid' changed my life.
'The Little Mermaid' changed my life.
I want to live outside of the box, and I definitely don't want to put God in a box, so I want to be Show more
I want to live outside of the box, and I definitely don't want to put God in a box, so I want to be able to dream big and kind of let that go of my small-mindedness. Hide
I can't sing, perform, do anything apart from Christ. I have no power or strength of my own.
I can't sing, perform, do anything apart from Christ. I have no power or strength of my own.
What we try to do at Disney and through Disney character voices is really maintain the integrity of Show more
What we try to do at Disney and through Disney character voices is really maintain the integrity of our classic characters at all costs. So Ariel needs to be me for every project, and if there are any other Ariels floating around out there, it's not necessarily Disney. Hide
I can only speak for my husband and myself, but we don't feel like we could do any of this parenting Show more
I can only speak for my husband and myself, but we don't feel like we could do any of this parenting without our faith. Hide
Ever since the kids were babies, we have treated them with respect. We are the mom and dad for sure, Show more
Ever since the kids were babies, we have treated them with respect. We are the mom and dad for sure, but we look for opportunities for us to sit down and say, 'How are things going for you? Is there anything that we can do as parents to help you? Let's all come up with a solution together.' We work better as a team. Hide
I was the original voice of Mattel's Barbie for an '80s claymation workout video.
I was the original voice of Mattel's Barbie for an '80s claymation workout video.
We had put our son into a little preschool in Los Angeles, and it was just not going well, so we bro Show more
We had put our son into a little preschool in Los Angeles, and it was just not going well, so we brought him back home. We had every intention of putting him back into a traditional school setting, but we just really couldn't find the right match for him. And then we moved to Georgia and again couldn't find the right match. Hide
I remember when John Lasseter called me back in the late 1990s to personally invite me to come be th Show more
I remember when John Lasseter called me back in the late 1990s to personally invite me to come be the voice of Barbie in 'Toy Story 2.' Hide
I pretty much came out of the womb singing. I think I sang all the time.
I pretty much came out of the womb singing. I think I sang all the time.
The thing that I enjoy about animation is the fact that it is unbridled, and there are no boundaries Show more
The thing that I enjoy about animation is the fact that it is unbridled, and there are no boundaries; when you are in the room, you don't have to focus on your clothing, make-up, hair, your choreography or your blocking; you really do have total freedom. Hide
I grew up with 'Cinderella.' So that was my go-to Disney film, definitely. It was princess-related, Show more
I grew up with 'Cinderella.' So that was my go-to Disney film, definitely. It was princess-related, and coming from a smaller area in Illinois and wanting to do something greater than myself in Broadway, that was a film that I could really relate to. Hide
I think God must have had something in mind for me that was not on my radar when I first started out Show more
I think God must have had something in mind for me that was not on my radar when I first started out in New York. Back then, doing animated voices meant your career was done - it was looked down upon. Hide
Connecting with the kids is a great joy for me. I love meeting them backstage or at a signing event. Show more
Connecting with the kids is a great joy for me. I love meeting them backstage or at a signing event. I am overwhelmed when I meet kids who struggle with terminal illnesses. Hide
I am a follower of Jesus. My husband really brought me to the Lord when I was 18 and I am so lucky t Show more
I am a follower of Jesus. My husband really brought me to the Lord when I was 18 and I am so lucky to have a platform through the studio. Hide
Anything that has to do with Disney and Pixar, I am on board with. That is where my heart and family Show more
Anything that has to do with Disney and Pixar, I am on board with. That is where my heart and family are. So when they call, I jump. Hide
Homeschooling has given us some wonderful flexibility and some great life experiences, especially wi Show more
Homeschooling has given us some wonderful flexibility and some great life experiences, especially with our son. Hide
I am blessed to perform in the studio and on the concert stage.
I am blessed to perform in the studio and on the concert stage.
I was doing a Broadway musical called 'Smile' with Howard Ashman and Marvin Hamlisch in 1984/5 when Show more
I was doing a Broadway musical called 'Smile' with Howard Ashman and Marvin Hamlisch in 1984/5 when it abruptly closed. Howard was in the middle of pre-production for 'The Little Mermaid,' so he kindly invited all the girls in our cast to audition for the film. Hide
For me, I was able to make that statement of faith early on when my career began, so there weren't r Show more
For me, I was able to make that statement of faith early on when my career began, so there weren't really a lot of surprises. People around me knew where my husband Ray and I stood as far as my faith went. Hide
I am really committed to my faith journey, and I am committed to my family. My husband and I have be Show more
I am really committed to my faith journey, and I am committed to my family. My husband and I have been married for almost 30 years, and we homeschool our kids. We have a different working-out-of the-box family, but we do make it work, obviously with God's grace, and we are very grateful for that. Hide
My husband has a gift for reaching out to people in need. I always look over and see him connecting Show more
My husband has a gift for reaching out to people in need. I always look over and see him connecting to someone who needs to talk or needs some support. Hide
When I do my concerts, you have got to think about everything else; so you have got to think about y Show more
When I do my concerts, you have got to think about everything else; so you have got to think about your gown, your hair, your body, and how you present yourself on stage. Hide
I love working with talented young performers.
I love working with talented young performers.
Jodi Benson's FILMOGRAPHY
as Actor (94)
Jodi Benson'S roles
