OVERLAY REPORT

The lead actor of the 1989 film *The Little Mermaid* is **Jodi Benson**, who provided both the speaking and singing voice for Ariel. Because she is one of the most prolific voice actresses in history (and a "Disney Legend"), you have very likely heard or seen her in several other major projects. Below is a list of her most notable film roles, categorized by how you might recognize her: ### 1. Major Animated Feature Films * **Toy Story 2 (1999) & Toy Story 3 (2010):** Benson voiced **Barbie**. She is particularly memorable in *Toy Story 3* for the romantic and comedic subplot involving Ken. * **Thumbelina (1994):** She played the **lead role of Thumbelina** in this Don Bluth film. If you remember the songs "Follow Your Heart" or "Soon," that was her. * **Flubber (1997):** She provided the voice for **Weebo**, the sentient, hovering yellow robot and assistant to Robin Williams' character. * **Ralph Breaks the Internet (2018):** She reprised her role as **Ariel** in the famous "Disney Princesses" sequence. * **Joseph: King of Dreams (2000):** She voiced **Asenath**, Joseph’s wife, in this DreamWorks prequel to *The Prince of Egypt*. ### 2. Live-Action Appearances (Face Roles) * **Enchanted (2007):** Benson has a notable live-action cameo as **Sam**, the receptionist at the law firm where Patrick Dempsey’s character works. During her scene, an instrumental version of "Part of Your World" plays in the background as an "Easter egg." * **The Little Mermaid (2023):** In the live-action remake, she makes a cameo as a **market vendor** on the island who hands a fork (the "dinglehopper") to Ariel (Halle Bailey). ### 3. Disney Movie Sequels (Direct-to-Video) Jodi Benson is the go-to voice for several classic Disney characters when their original voice actors are unavailable: * **Lady and the Tramp II: Scamp's Adventure (2001):** She took over the voice of **Lady**. * **101 Dalmatians II: Patch's London Adventure (2003):** She voiced **Anita Radcliffe**. * **The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea (2000) & Ariel's Beginning (2008):** She returned to play **Ariel** in both the sequel (where she is a mother) and the prequel. * **Balto II: Wolf Quest (2002) & Balto III: Wings of Change (2004):** She voiced **Jenna** (the husky), taking over from Bridget Fonda. ### 4. Other Notable Voice Roles * **A Christmas Carol (1997):** She voiced **Belle** (Scrooge’s past love) in the animated musical version. * **The Mighty Kong (1998):** She voiced **Ann Darrow** (the lead female role) opposite Dudley Moore. * **Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (Disney Dub):** She voiced **Lastelle's Mother** in the 2005 English redub of the Studio Ghibli classic. ### Why she might sound so familiar: Aside from films, she was the voice of **Tula** in the cult classic series *The Pirates of Dark Water* and has voiced Ariel in nearly every Disney video game (including the *Kingdom Hearts* series) and theme park attraction for over 30 years. If you grew up with a "Barbie" doll that talked in the 1990s, there is also a high chance that was her voice, as she was the official voice of Barbie for Mattel for many years.