We need to be storytellers, and no matter what we look like on the outside, no matter our race, our nation, the color of our skin, our dialect, whether I'm tall or thin, whether I'm overweight or underweight, or my hair is whatever color, we really need to tell the story.

Jodi Benson

Categorized in : Entertainment

I think good entertainment makes you feel something... it can be a variety of different feelings.

Jodi Benson

entertainment feelings thinking

I was the original voice of Mattels Barbie for an 80s claymation workout video.

Jodi Benson

barbie voice workout

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.

Jodi Benson

husband careers people

I've done a variety of projects in different areas of the entertainment industry.

Jodi Benson

entertainment different done

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.

Jodi Benson

careers new-york thinking

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.

Jodi Benson

princess illinois broadway

Homeschooling has given us some wonderful flexibility and some great life experiences, especially with our son.

Jodi Benson

some great life son

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.

Jodi Benson

myself me parent positive

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.

Jodi Benson

i-am me struggle love

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.

Jodi Benson

yourself think you hair

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.

Jodi Benson

feel myself parenting faith

I am blessed to perform in the studio and on the concert stage.

Jodi Benson

i-am-blessed concert i-am blessed

I love working for Disney! They are my family.

Jodi Benson

working i-love family love

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.'

Jodi Benson

story me voice remember

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.

Jodi Benson

doing he smile film

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.

Jodi Benson

you freedom focus hair

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.

Jodi Benson

jump i-am family heart

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.

Jodi Benson

try me integrity character

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.

Jodi Benson

back home school son

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.

Jodi Benson

you respect together work