Jodi Benson | Entertainment News, Photos, and Videos

Jodi Benson made a surprise appearance during ABC’s The Little Mermaid Live to introduce the special and we have the video here!

The 58-year-old actress, who voiced the role of Ariel in the 1989 movie The Little Mermaid, appeared on stage during the special on Tuesday (November 5) in Los Angeles.

“Thank you so much! I am so thrilled to be here. I can’t believe it’s been over three decades since I sang ‘Part of Your World’ for our new exciting musical called The Little Mermaid. Tonight, we celebrate our 30th anniversary of one of the most beloved Disney films of all time with a unique musical presentation – half our original film, half live spectacle, but 100% pure Disney magic,” Jodi told the crowd. Watch the sweet video here!

READ MORE: ‘The Little Mermaid Live!’ – Full Cast, Performers, & Song List!

Jodi Benson and Auli’i Cravalho look back at the Sebastian character during The Little Mermaid panel at the 2019 D23 Expo over the weekend in Anaheim, Calif.

The Disney Princess twosome were celebrating the 30th anniversary of the animated flick and opened up about the upcoming concert special, where Auli’i will be performing as Ariel.

During the panel event, Auli’i opened up about how Jodi gave her advice during the last D23 about how portraying a Disney princess would open doors and then asked for even more.

You can check out her answer in the video clip below!

If you missed the exciting news about The Little Mermaid Concert Special, read up on it now!

Earlier in the day, Auli’i was spotted signing autographs for fans.

Jodi Benson is defending Disney’s choice to cast Halle Bailey as Ariel in the live action The Little Mermaid movie.

While speaking to a crowd at Florida Supercon over the weekend, the actress, and original voice of the animated character, shared her thoughts about the casting decision.

“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,” Jodi shared. “And the outside package — cause let’s face it, I’m really, really old — and so when I’m singing ‘Part of Your World,’ if you were to judge me on the way that I look on the outside, it might change the way that you interpret the song. But if you close your eyes, you can still hear the spirit of Ariel.”

She added, “We need to be storytellers. And no matter what we look like on the outside, no matter our race, our nation, the color of our skin, our dialect, whether I’m tall or thin, whether I’m overweight or underweight, or my hair is whatever color, we really need to tell the story.”

Freeform issued a statement over the weekend, defending the decision to cast Halle as Ariel.

Mandy Moore, Taraji P. Henson, and Sarah Silverman team up for the world premiere of their new movie Ralph Breaks the Internet held at El Capitan Theatre on Monday (November 5) in Los Angeles.

They were joined by their co-stars John C. Reilly, Jack McBrayer, Jane Lynch, Alan Tudyk, Alfred Molina, Sean Giambrone, Timothy Simons, Ali Wong, GloZell Green, Katie Lowes, Dani Fernandez, and Roger Craig Smith.

More co-stars in attendance included Michael Giacchino, Irene Bedard, Jodi Benson, Auli’i Cravalho, Jennifer Hale, Kate Higgins, Linda Larkin, Paige O’Hara, Pamela Ribon, Ming-Na Wen, and directors Phil Johnston and Rich Moore.

Julia Michaels, Imagine Dragons, Jordan Fisher, Josh Gad, Christina Milian, Melora Hardin, Melissa Joan Hart, David Dastmalchian, Yul Vazquez, and Olivia Sanabia also stepped out to show their support.

Ralph Breaks the Internet takes place six years after the events of Wreck-It Ralph. Ralph and Vanellope, now friends, discover a wi-fi router in their arcade, leading them into a new adventure. Watch the trailer here, and don’t miss it when it hits theaters on November 21!

FYI: Taraji is wearing Carolina Herrera. Sarah is wearing Lela Rose with APM Monaco jewelry. Auli’i is wearing Thai Nguyen Atelier. Ming-Na is wearing Jovani. Julia is wearing Georges Chakra Couture. Olivia is wearing a Gloria Guerrero dress, Steve Madden heels, and Marc Jacobs earrings. Mandy is wearing a Rochas dress and Neil Lane jewels.

65+ pictures inside from the Ralph Breaks the Internet world premiere… More Here! »

Nick Jonas and Darren Criss are performing together!

The two superstars hit the stage together during the 2018 Elsie Fest in Central Park at the Summerstage on Sunday (October 7) in New York City.

PHOTOS: Check out the latest pics of Nick Jonas

Elsie Fest, founded by Darren, is NYC’s first music festival featuring stars and songs of the stage and screen.

Nick and Darren sang “Brotherhood of Man” together from How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.

Rufus Wainwright, Zachary Levi, Matthew Morrison, Jodi Benson, Grant Gustin, Will Roland, Joshua Henry, Alex Newell, Sutton Foster, Casey Cott, Corey Cott and the casts of Be More Chill, The Prom and Anna and the Apocalypse were among the many talented acts to hit the stage during the event.

FYI: Nick is wearing an Everybody.World hoodie.

50+ pictures inside from Elsie Fest…

Ten of the women who have voiced Disney princesses over the years gathered for an epic photo at the D23 Expo on Friday (July 14) and there’s an amazing reason… they all will be in a movie together!

During a scene in the upcoming movie Ralph Breaks the Internet, a sequel to Wreck-It-Ralph, Sarah Silverman‘s princess character Vanellope von Schweetz travels through the internet and comes across a Disney fan site where there is a dressing room with all the Disney princesses like Elsa, Moana, Mulan, Snow White, and more.

Paige O’Hara (Belle), Irene Bedard (Pocahontas), Mandy Moore (Rapunzel), Auli’i Cravalho (Moana), Sarah Silverman (Vanellope von Schweetz), Kristen Bell (Anna), Kelly Macdonald (Merida), Anika Noni Rose (Tiana), Linda Larkin (Jasmine) and Jodi Benson (Ariel) all met up on stage at the expo and this was the first time they’ve been together in person!

Ralph Breaks the Internet hits theaters on March 9, 2018.

FYI: Kristen is wearing a Michael Kors Collection top and skirt. Sarah is wearing a Ted Baker dress. Mandy is wearing a Carolina Herrera dress, Stella Luna shoes, and Irene Neuwirth jewels.

30+ pictures inside of all the princesses meeting up at D23… More Here! »