Original THE LITTLE MERMAID’s Jodi Benson Shares How God Led Her Career
By Movieguide® Contributor
In a recent Jesus Calling podcast with the original actress in THE LITTLE MERMAID, Jodi Benson, shared how God led her on the journey to have a career in acting and become the famed Ariel.
Benson was born and raised in Illinois and began showing an interest in singing around the age of five.
“I kind of started singing at the age of five, pretty much all the time, and sort of came out of the womb singing according to my mom,” she shared on the podcast.
Around the age of nine, her sister taught her guitar, and she began playing in church every Sunday.
“I think around the age of eight or nine, I told my mom, ‘I’d like to make a living, to sing, dance, and act and do Broadway.’ Of course, I’d never seen a Broadway show or really seen hardly any theater except the community theater in my town. But for some reason, I just had this idea that I really wanted to find out what Broadway was all about,” she said.
Jodi shares how when she began college at Millikin University, she really became serious about a future in musical theater.
“And at that point, I thought, This is something I feel like God has given me a certain skill and a certain skill set to be able to investigate. Can I go down this path?” she added.
After college, Jodi Benson moved to Los Angeles with her husband to pursue what God had put on her heart.
“We didn’t have a home. We didn’t really know what that was going to look like. But He knew, and He knew that if I could keep my eyes on Him on a daily basis, then I could trust Him,” she said. “And historically, having seen throughout the journey of life that He has repeatedly been trustworthy in my life and how He has shown up. And for me, He usually shows up for me, for my family, and our marriage and with our kids in the 11th hour.”
In 1987, Jodi was hired by Disney and began doing Broadway shows for them. Having never done a voiceover in her life, she decided to take a risk and audition for THE LITTLE MERMAID.
“And it just so happened that God’s perfect plan was for me to become Ariel,” she said joyfully.
Jodi Benson is now considered a “Disney Legend.”
The Walt Disney Archives states, “She won the role of Ariel over at least 500 other actresses, and Jodi admits that when she watches the film, she can see herself in Ariel. “She’s independent, spirited, and strong-willed. I don’t think I could have accomplished my dreams if there wasn’t a little of her in me.”
Recently, Benson worked on the faith-based series THE WINGFEATHER SAGA from Angel Studios.
Movieguide®’s review reads:
Chapter 4 of THE WINGFEATHER SAGA is light on plot, but heavy on quality storytelling. This episode contains top-tier art direction and several positive Christian virtues. The Igiby family displays the values of sacrifice, bravery, fighting tyranny, hard work, and protecting one’s family.
