SALT LAKE CITY — Jodi Benson, the voice actress behind Ariel in “The Little Mermaid,” has come forward to defend Halle Bailey’s casting as the character in Disney’s upcoming remake.
USA Today reports that Benson recently attended the Florida Supercon convention and told fans that making decisions that best fit the story and character matter most for the film.
“We have, as a family, raised our children and for ourselves that we don't see anything that's different on the outside. I think that the spirit of a character is what really matters. What you bring to the table in a character as far as their heart and their spirit is what really counts," Benson said.
Benson continued by comparing her own physical appearance to Ariel — although the actress self-proclaimed herself as “really, really old,” she said that by singing “Part of Your World” she can still properly convey the spirit of the character.
“That's really what (Disney is) trying to do. They want to communicate with all of us in the audience so we can fall in love with the film again," Benson added.
Benson’s full address can be heard in a video posted to Instagram.
AV Club reports that Benson’s statement follows social media backlash last week following Disney’s decision to cast Bailey, who sings in the R&B duo Chloe X Halle. The hashtag #NotMyAriel began trending on Twitter, with some fans expressing disappointment and frustration that a black actress was cast as Ariel, who is regularly portrayed as a white redhead.
The Washington Post also reports that Freeform, a TV network owned by Disney, posted a statement on Instagram arguing that there isn’t any reason Bailey couldn’t play a “Danish mermaid” despite not “looking like the cartoon one.”
According to the Deseret News, director Rob Marshall (“Mary Poppins Returns”) said Bailey was selected after an “extensive search.”
“It was abundantly clear that Halle possesses that rare combination of spirit, heart, youth, innocence, and substance — plus a glorious singing voice — all intrinsic qualities necessary to play this iconic role,” he said.
The film will reportedly begin filming in 2020 and will also include new original music from “Hamilton” and “Moana” lyricist Lin-Manuel Miranda and Alan Menken, according to the Hollywood Reporter.