Jodi Benson took a break from the Broadway stage to record her voice-acting debut as Ariel. She had no idea it would be a hit.

After living under the sea, Benson went on to voice Thumbelina in 20th Century Fox's movie of the same name, Weebo in "Flubber," and Ariel in every subsequent video game, TV show, short, and sequel. She reprises her role as Barbie in "Toy Story 4" in 2018.