Recently, I had the joy of interviewing Disney Legend and Tony-nominated actress Jodi Benson. Jodi has voiced the character of Ariel in multiple iterations since The Little Mermaid was released in 1989 including the two follow-up films, the animated series, and most recently made an appearance in Ralph Breaks the Internet. She also voiced Barbie in the Toy Story franchise. In this exclusive interview, I talk to her about her Broadway career, her work at Disney, and what gives her hope.
How did you get your start on Broadway?
The first thing that I had was an opportunity through Barry Moss casting and through my husband who I was dating at the time to audition for the first national tour of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. I didn’t have my Equity card so having that connection of the casting director saying “Hey, I’m going to let you in the door” and then from that, getting the job really paved the way to be able to start the whole process of being able to go to auditions.
[…]