The Big Picture

• Jodi Benson, the voice of Ariel in The Little Mermaid, reveals Barbra Streisand as her top inspiration for storytelling through song.
• Benson's upcoming role in Hello Dolly! mirrors Streisand's legendary performance in the same role.
• Fans can relive Benson's iconic voice in The Little Mermaid on Disney+.

When Disney launched the live-action adaptation of The Little Mermaid at the end of last summer, Halle Bailey became the voice of Princess Ariel for an entirely new generation. But for many of us who grew up in the early ‘90s and beyond, Jodi Benson will always be the vocal actress whom we connect to the 1989 animated feature. Benson and the rest of the team involved with The Little Mermaid, ushered the studio into a new age, with other animated flicks like Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, and The Lion King drumming up box office success left and right.

During a Collider panel led by Maggie Lovitt over the weekend at the Calgary Expo, Benson reminded the audience that even legends have heroes when she revealed that the one performer at the top of her list of inspirations is none other than Barbra Streisand. With a heartfelt burst of adoration that can only come from a fan, Benson explained:

“Such a brilliant icon and so influential in my vocal career and in my stage career. The way she tells a story when she sings - it’s just, absolutely breathtaking. So, I grew up knowing all of her songs and imitating her and just was a huge fan and still am today. I have never met her. I would love to meet her cause I think her granddaughter is a huge Ariel fan. So, if you have any contacts [laughs] I would just really love to meet her one day and just be able to tell her how influential she is in my career, because her ability to tell a story through song is unlike anyone else as far as I’m concerned… I’m so enamored with her career as a producer, as a director, as an actress, and as a vocalist.”

How Jodi Benson’s Career Is Mirroring Barbra Streisand’s

Whether she realizes it or not, Benson is preparing to step into one of Streisand’s most beloved roles when The Little Mermaid star heads back to the stage to perform in a production of Hello Dolly! this summer. Benson describes the job as “a whole different element of challenge” but adds that she’s more than ready to get back into the game. While she didn’t bring it up during the panel, Benson is sure to have already drawn the parallels between her upcoming stint with the musical and the 1969 film that starred Streisand as the titular matchmaker.

If you don’t have a chance to catch her during her run in Hello Dolly! there are still plenty of ways to relive the magic of Benson’s soothingly smooth voice as, along with Ariel, she’s also voiced Barbie in the Toy Story franchise, Sam in Enchanted, and a handful of others. You can stream The Little Mermaid alongside the rest of Disney’s classic animated films now on Disney+.

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