Mary Costa auditioned for Aurora because she wanted to meet Walt Disney.
Mary Costa made an impromptu performance at a dinner party when unbeknownst to her, the choral director casting Princess Aurora was in the room — and he was hooked. The animators later modeled the character off the Knoxville, Tennessee, native, as well.
Costa led an illustrious singing career and threw herself into charity work after retiring from show business. She's 86.