Little mermaid's jodi benson brings disney's ariel to new generation

Jodi Benson doesn't need a fountain of youth. The actress-singer who brought Ariel to life in _The Little Mermaid_ may be 52 and a married mother of two, but she still does voice work

and concerts. And with the Oct. 1 release of the 3-D Blu-ray Diamond Edition of _The Little Mermaid, _Benson, as Ariel, will come to life for a new generation of young movie-watchers. For

those who fell in love with the sound of Benson's voice — both speaking and singing — in _The Little Mermaid,_ she will always be the rebellious 16-year-old princess with the swishy

tail and flowing locks who defies her sea-king father to join the human world above. But the 1989 film, its two home-entertainment sequels, a TV series and video games were not her only

claims to fame. Nominated for a Tony in the 1992 revival of George Gershwin's _Crazy for You,_ the stage veteran has made a thriving career out of using her voice. _The Little Mermaid,

_however_, _was her first plunge into the heard-but-not-seen side of showbiz. "It was all new to me," says Benson, recalling how composer Alan Menken and lyricist-producer Howard

Ashman — who wrote and directed the beauty-pageant musical _Smile,_ in which she starred on Broadway in 1986 — approached _Mermaid_ as if it were a stage production. "I was joined by

other cast members in a read-through with Howard and Alan at the piano. Later on, we recorded by ourselves. I usually don't get to meet the other voice actors until the movie's

premiere." After several years of sinking returns at Disney, _The Little Mermaid_ put the Magic Kingdom back in the swim as a cartoon-feature powerhouse. Two years later, _Beauty and

the Beast_ became the first animated feature nominated for a best-picture Oscar. And 1994's _The Lion King_ still rules the box-office jungle as the highest-grossing hand-drawn animated

film ($423 million). Jodi Benson, center, during a recording session for "The Little Mermaid." ©Buena Vista Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection _"The Little Mermaid _changed

my life," says Benson, who calls her relationship with the character "a wonderful blessing and a huge surprise. Every job opportunity I've had since then was thanks to that

character and that film. 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." Look who's not looking down now: A-list stars such as Johnny Depp _(Rango)_ and Steve Carell _(Despicable Me) _routinely tackle animated

speaking roles nowadays. Benson, however, earned a bonus for her work: a signature song, "Part of Your World," in which Ariel expresses her desire to experience life above sea

level. "Every time I sing it," says Benson, "the song comes to life for me. I want to show my concert audiences that it isn't just the same old, same old — I want it to

be a truly magical moment." She has also had the honor of speaking for a real doll — namely, Barbie — in _Toy Story 2 _and _3,_ as well as in the 2011 cartoon short _Hawaiian Vacation._

"I was the original voice of Mattel's Barbie for an '80s claymation workout video," Benson explains. But director John Lasseter didn't know that when he approached

her for Barbie's role in the 1999 sequel as a toy-store guide for Buzz Lightyear and the gang. In _Toy Story 3 _(2010), in which Barbie meets Ken and they share their passion for

fashion, "I tried to make her vulnerable and not just plastic," says Benson. She has grown accustomed to her voice being recognized. "When I'm on the phone, people will

often tell me, 'You sound a lot like Ariel.' "