The Untold Truth Of The Little Mermaid's Jodi Benson

Today, Jodi Benson's name is synonymous with voice acting. Aside from Ariel, Benson has voiced the title character in Don Bluth's 1994 "Thumbelina" animated movie, multiple characters in Cartoon Network's "Camp Lazlo" TV show, and even the superhero Aquagirl in two episodes of "Batman Beyond."

But back in the 1986, Benson hadn't even considered a career as a voice actor. Instead, she was performing in the Broadway musical "Smile," a production directed by legendary Disney lyricist Howard Ashman, who had been tapped to write the lyrics for "The Little Mermaid." At the Phoenix Fan Fusion Convention, Benson noted that "Smile" closed after only a few weeks. But her performance — and her rendition of the musical's song "Disneyland" — got her the attention of Ashman, who invited some cast members to audition for "The Little Mermaid" after the play ended.

"I went to the audition just saying, 'Oh, this is a neat experience,' never having been behind a microphone before," Benson recalled, who saw the audition as a "consolation prize" for the actors who'd just lost their jobs. "And I ran to the ladies' room, made sure no one was in the stalls, and started talking to myself in the mirror thinking, 'Gosh, is this what a sixteen-year-old sounds like? I don't remember!'"

A year later, Benson got a call from her agent, who told her she'd been cast as Ariel. Benson, who'd forgotten all about the earlier audition, innocently asked, "What's an 'Ariel?'"

Soon, however, Benson would see the role as a huge blessing — especially since it gave her the opportunity to work with Howard Ashman again. "[Howard] stood in the studio with me ... and got me through all my lines and all my songs," Benson recollected. "He knew I was struggling. I had never been behind a microphone and didn't know what I was doing at all, but he was just incredibly kind."