'The Little Mermaid' has a delicate 'passing the torch' second between Halle Bailey and the actor who initially voiced Ariel, the movie's director reveals

• Jodi Benson, the unique voice of Ariel, makes a delicate cameo within the new live-action movie. 
• The movie’s director mentioned Benson and Halle Bailey share a “passing the torch” second within the scene.
• Talking to Leisure Weekly, Benson mentioned it was “pure pleasure” to be concerned within the mission. 

The actor who initially voiced Ariel in “The Little Mermaid” shares a particular second with Halle Bailey throughout her cameo in Disney’s new live-action remake, the movie’s director mentioned.

Jodi Benson, 61, informed Leisure Weekly she had no hesitations about saying sure when the movie’s director Rob Marshall requested her about doing a cameo within the 2023 remake.

In response to the outlet, she and Marshall have recognized one another for round 40 years, having been members of New York Metropolis’s theater scene within the Nineteen Eighties. 

Finally, Benson gained the function of voicing Ariel within the 1989 Disney animated film. The character is performed by Bailey, 23, within the new movie, which premiered worldwide on Friday.

“It was simply an enormous thrill for me when Robbie reached out,” Benson mentioned, recalling the second Marshall contacted her concerning the cameo. “I am like, ‘In fact I am gonna come! I do not care what I am doing. I simply cannot wait to get across the set and watch all of you’re employed. It was simply pure pleasure for me.”

However in keeping with Marshall, Benson’s cameo had a deeper that means. In response to the outlet, Benson seems briefly throughout a market scene — she performs a lady who provides Ariel (Bailey) a plate of meals and a fork, which the mermaid princess errors for a hairbrush and begins brushing her hair with. 

“It is actually like passing the torch,” Marshall mentioned. 

It wasn’t simply Marshall who was thrilled to have Benson concerned — he mentioned Bailey herself was excited to have Benson onboard. 

“Halle was out of her thoughts to fulfill Jodi as a result of she grew up with that Ariel,” he mentioned. “It was fairly stunning. I imply, it is 34 years later. The great thing about Jodi is that she’s so open-hearted and enthusiastic about this Ariel dwelling alongside her Ariel.”

“They’re each there eternally now,” Marshall added. “It was simply actually, actually transferring for all of us.”