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{{Infobox|Row 1 title = Born|Row 1 info = Jodi Marie Marzorati <br> October 10, 1961 (age 57) <br> Rockford, Illinois, U.S.|Row 2 title = Occupation|Row 2 info = Actress, voice actress, singer|Row 3 title = Years Active|Row 3 info = 1984–present|Row 4 title = Spouse|Row 4 info = Ray Benson (m. 1984)|Row 5 title = Characters|Row 5 info = [[Ariel]] <br> [[Vanessa]]|Row 6 title = Awards|Row 6 info = Disney Legend (2011)|Box title = Jodi Benson|image = File:Jodi Benson.PNG|imagewidth = 250}}'''Jodi Marie Marzorati Benson''' (born October 10, 1961) is an American voice actress and singer. She is known for providing both the singing and the speaking voice of [[Ariel]] in Disney's ''[[The Little Mermaid]]'' (1989 film) and its sequels. In 2002 and 2006, she reprised the role of Ariel in the English versions of the ''Kingdom Hearts'' video game series.

==Biography==
===Personal life===
Benson was born '''Jodi Marzorati''' in Rockford, Illinois. She attended Boylan Catholic High School and Millikin University, and currently lives in north Georgia with her husband Ray Benson ( Ray Benson of band "Asleep At The Wheel"), both of whom are Christians, and their two children.<ref>[http://www.townhall.com/news/religion/2007/11/21/first-person_phil_boatwright_thanksgiving_movie_stuffing Townhall.com::The News<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> Benson has also performed in several Broadway Productions.

===Career===
Benson seems incapable of escaping her ''Little Mermaid'' legacy. In the ''Guideposts Junction'' video series, one character jokingly asked if Jodi knew anything about mermaids. ''The Mighty Kong'' featured one scene in which the lead female character (whose voice she provided), swam through the water, her hair flowing about in an Ariel-like fashion. She even provided the voice for a character called ''Aquagirl'' in an episode of ''Batman Beyond''. Fortunately, Mrs. Benson seems to have no regrets about her ''Little Mermaid'' role. She says that she never gets tired of singing "[[Part of Your World]]", her trademark song from this movie.

Benson also did voice-overs in video games. She played Ariel again in the video game ''Kingdom Hearts''; she is also in ''Kingdom Hearts II'', playing Ariel yet again, this time singing in musicals. She was also in ''Grandia II'' where she was the American voice actress for Millenia. Benson is also currently doing voice work in the Emmy-winning Cartoon Network animated series, ''Camp Lazlo'', as the characters Patsy Smiles, Scoutmistress Jane Doe, and Almondine the Owl.

Benson will play as Cloe in ''The Save-Ums'' in 2007.

Fittingly enough, Benson performs the song "Disneyland" on the ''Unsung Musicals'' compilation CD. This song was originally performed by her in the short-lived Broadway musical ''Smile'', long before she became affiliated with the Walt Disney Company. In 1992, Benson received a Tony Award nomination for Best Actress in a Musical for her role as Polly Baker in the musical ''Crazy for You''. In 1989, she appeared in the short-lived musical ''Welcome to the Club'', with [[Samuel E. Wright]] (the voice of [[Sebastian]] the Crab in ''The Little Mermaid'').

Benson had a small role as "Sam" in Disney's ''Enchanted'' as a tribute to Ariel.

Among non-Disney related films, she played in Don Bluth's version of the Hans Christian Anderson's "Thumbelina", playing the heroine of the same name. She performed many songs in this film, including a duet with Barry Manilow in "Let Me Be Your Wings".

== Roles ==
<gallery>
Ariel.PNG|[[Ariel]]<br> ("The Little Mermaid") ("The Little Mermaid (TV series)") (''The Little Mermaid II: Return To The Sea'') ("The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning")
Vanessa 1 (film).jpg|[[Vanessa]]<br> ("The Little Mermaid")
</gallery>
== Filmography ==
*1984 ''Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind'' (voice) - Lastelle's Mother (2004 Disney Dub)
*1988 ''P. J. Sparkles'' (voice) - P. J. (1988 Mattel)
*1990 ''Disney Sing Along Songs'': "Under the Sea" (voice, archive footage) - Ariel
*1991 ''Pirates of Dark Water'' TV Series (voice) - Tula
*1993 ''Disney Sing Along Songs'': "Friend Like Me" (voice, archive footage) - Ariel
*1994 ''Disney Sing Along Songs'': "Circle of Life" (voice, archive footage) - [[Ariel]]
*1994 ''Thumbelina'' (voice) - Thumbelina
*1996 ''Guideposts Junction'', a six-part Christian video series for children - Herself
*1997 ''Flubber'' (voice) - Weebo
*1997 ''A Christmas Carol'' (voice) - Belle
*1998 ''The Mighty Kong'' (voice) - Ann Darrow
*1998 ''Hercules TV Series'' (voice) - Helen of Troy
*1999 ''Toy Story 2'' (voice) - Tour Guide Barbie / Barbie on Backpack
*1999 ''Hercules: Zero to Hero'' (voice) - Helen of Troy
*2000 ''Joseph: King of Dreams'' (voice) - Asenath
*2001 ''House of Mouse'' TV Series (voice) - [[Ariel]] / Belle
*2001 ''Lady and the Tramp II: Scamp's Adventure'' (voice) - Lady (Segment "Pidge")
*2001 ''Mickey's Magical Christmas: Snowed In at the House of Mouse'' (voice) - [[Ariel]]
*2001 ''Balto II: Wolf Quest'' (voice) - Jenna
*2001 ''The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy'' - The Blue Fairy
*2002 ''Rapsittie Street Kids: Believe in Santa'' (voice) - Lenee
*2003 ''101 Dalmatians II: Patch's London Adventure'' (voice) - Anita
*2003 ''K10C: Kids' Ten Commandments'' (voice) - Leila and Martha
*2003 ''Mickey's PhilharMagic'' (voice) - [[Ariel]]
*2004 ''Balto III: Wings of Change'' (voice) - Jenna
*2005 ''The Buzz on Maggie'' (voice) - Laura
*2005 ''Camp Lazlo'' (voice) - Patsy Smiles, Ms. Jane Doe
*2007 ''The Save-Ums'' (voice) - Cloe
*2007 ''Enchanted'' (2007 film) - Sam
*2010 ''Toy Story 3'' (voice) - Barbie
*2012 ''Secret of the Wings ''(voice) - Healing Fairy
*2013 ''Sofia the First'' (voice) - [[Ariel]]
*2015 ''Star vs. The Forces of Evil ''(voice) - Singing Teacher
*2019 ''Toy Story 4'' (voice) - Barbie

===Other===
*1998 ''A Bug's Life'' (video game) - Atta
*2000 ''Grandia II'' (video game) - Millennia / Reena
*2002 ''Kingdom Hearts'' (video game) -[[ Ariel]]
*2005 ''Kingdom Hearts II'' (video game) -[[ Ariel]]

==Discography==
*1990 ''[[The Little Mermaid (soundtrack)|The Little Mermaid Soundtrack]]''
*1991 ''Jodi Benson Sings Songs From the Beginner's Bible I''
*1992 ''Jodi Benson Sings Songs From the Beginner's Bible II''
*1992 ''[[The Little Mermaid: Splash Hits]]''
*1992 ''Crazy for You Cast Recording''
*1993 ''[[The Little Mermaid: Songs from the Sea]]''
*1994 ''Unsung Musicals''
*1994 ''Thumbelina Soundtrack''
*1995 ''Songs of Guideposts Junction''
*1996 ''Hollywood Christmas'' (Various artists)
*2000 ''[[Songs from The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea & More!]]''
*2004 ''Disney Princess Music Hits''
*2005 ''Disney Princess Christmas Of Enchantment''
*2005 ''Disney Princess Tea Party ''
*2013 ''[[The Little Mermaid Greatest Hits]]''

==References==
{{reflist}}
==External links==
*{{imdb name|id=0072533|name=Jodi Benson}}
*{{tv.com person|id=42431|name=Jodi Benson}}
*{{ibdb name|id=31757|name=Jodi Benson}}
*{{voice actor|id=1102|name=Jodi Benson}}
*[http://www.americantheatrewing.org/seminars/detail/performance_04_92 Performance] ''Working in the Theatre'' seminar video at [[American Theatre Wing|American Theatre Wing.org]], April 1992
[[Category:American voice actors]]
[[Category:Living people]]