on various Disney Princess albums of the 2000s. From 1992 to 2011 she was the official voice of Barbie for Mattel and Pixar for projects such as Toy Story and Dance! Workout with Barbie, until the role was taken over by Kate Higgins starting with the series Life in the Dreamhouse. The Little Mermaid In late 1986, Benson first heard of the audition for The Little Mermaid through lyricist and playwright Howard Ashman. The two had just worked together in the Broadway show Smile until its run ended early. He knew she would be the perfect fit for the role and that she would be a great replica of Ariel. After hearing the demo for "Part of Your World", she sang a small part of it on tape where it was later sent to Disney executives. Before her audition for The Little Mermaid, she was primarily a stage actress. It was Ashman's first Disney project. In early 1988, Benson won the role of Ariel and has been voicing her ever since. Filmography Film Television Video games Theme parks Stage Discography Awards and nominations References External links Jodi Benson at the Disney Legends Website Performance Working in the Theatre seminar video at American Theatre Wing.org, April 1992 1961 births Actresses from Illinois Musicians from Rockford, Illinois American Christians American musical theatre actresses American voice actresses American film actresses American sopranos American video game actresses Audiobook narrators Living people Actors from Rockford, Illinois 20th-century American actresses 20th-century Christians 21st-century American actresses 21st-century Christians 20th-century American singers Traditional pop music singers 20th-century American women singers 21st-century American women singers Hanna-Barbera people Disney people