Go Under the Sea With These Secrets From the OG Little Mermaid

As a lifelong Disney enthusiast, I find myself utterly captivated by the fascinating tales behind the making of “The Little Mermaid.” Each character’s journey to voice their beloved roles is as enchanting as the story itself.

Can you believe it’s been 35 years since Disney took us all under the sea?

Indeed, I vividly recall the first time “The Little Mermaid” graced our screens on November 13, 1989. It was a remarkable moment for me as it marked Disney’s return to fairy tale adaptations since the enchanting “Sleeping Beauty” in 1959, based on the timeless story by Hans Christian Andersen.

Under the guidance of directors Ron Clement and John Musker, this heartwarming tale was brought to life, with music by the renowned duo Alan Menken and Howard Ashman. The enchanting character of Ariel, voiced by Jodi Benson, captured audiences worldwide, earning over $230 million at the box office, winning two Oscars, and marking the beginning of a successful era for Disney’s animated films. This groundbreaking movie paved the way for other classics like “Beauty and the Beast,” “Aladdin,” and “The Lion King.

Even though we had an abundance of Whozits and Whatzits when the live-action adaptation hit the cinemas last spring, featuring stars such as Halle Bailey, Melissa McCarthy, Javier Bardem, Daveed Diggs, Jonah Hauer-King, Jacob Tremblay, Awkwafina, among others, there’s nothing quite as magical as experiencing it for the very first time.

Benson, who appeared in the 2023 version, clarified to Today that he wanted to participate in both realms due to the distinctiveness between the two movies. “They are entirely unique productions,” he said, “and I like to describe it to people as such: you can admire and enjoy both films separately.

Although it may seem like her collection is already finished, Benson still lends her voice to Ariel for numerous Disney items – such as park projects, commercial advertisements, and video games. She guesses she sings “Part of Your World” at least once a week.

She clarified that her role involves recreating a specific memory-triggering performance when singing, similar to how she sang it during the original movie’s recording. She emphasized that she maintains consistency and doesn’t alter her approach.

In celebration of the 35th anniversary of our animated film, let’s delve into the past and reveal an abundance of fascinating tools and devices that offer insights into the secrets hidden behind the scenes.

As explained by co-director Ron Clements, his initial proposal to remake “The Little Mermaid” was turned down because Disney had already planned a sequel to their successful mermaid romantic comedy, “Splash”, starring Tom Hanks and Daryl Hannah. They felt that another mermaid tale might be too similar at that time.

2. At first, Ariel was intended to have blond hair. This detail was confirmed by her supervising animator Mark Penn, who remembered a supervisor instructing the animation team, “All mermaids should be portrayed as blondes.

3. Initially, Christie Brinkley served as the artistic inspiration for the physical appearance of the Disney princess, prior to the team’s decision to give Ariel red hair. As Penn explained, “The aesthetic aligned perfectly,” making the choice logical given the oceanic colors – blues and teals. It seemed fitting to portray her as a redhead since it was like saying, “Why not?” in the underwater realm.

4. After collaborating with lyricist Howard Ashman on the brief Broadway musical “Smile”, Jodi Benson, who voiced Ariel, was asked to try out, along with other female cast members following the show’s premature closure. Since none of the audition tapes were identified, the executives had to decide based solely on the voice, taking considerable time to make their selection.

Benson shared with Behind the Voice Actors, “I continued living my life, and surprisingly, it took a whole year for me to receive a call saying my audition tape was chosen. It’s truly astonishing, almost like a miracle.

5. Following the triumph of “The Little Mermaid,” Disney initially considered Benson for the role of Belle in the 1991 release of “Beauty and the Beast.” However, they ultimately decided that a slightly more seasoned voice would be more suitable.

In response to their feedback, Paige O’Hara, who had been chosen for the part over 500 other contenders, explained to Genesis Moments that she has a voice which is slightly deeper compared to Jodi’s. They seemed to prefer making her portrayal of Belle more traditional and feminine with a classical touch.

6. The essence lies in the specifics: Over six million bubbles were individually crafted for the movie, ensuring no two were identical. Interestingly, a team of ten worked tirelessly for an entire year just to create the brief two-minute storm scene during animation.

7. In the realm of “Makin’ Toons,” I, as a dedicated follower, can share an interesting tidbit about Ursula’s origins. Producers initially envisioned Joan Collins, a star from “Dynasty,” as their top pick for Ursula. Early sketches actually modeled the character after her. However, fate had other plans, and Pat Carroll landed the role instead. The character’s appearance was subsequently inspired by the legendary drag queen, Divine.

8. Originally planned for the movie, but later removed, the script showed that Ursula was actually King Triton’s exiled sister and Ariel’s aunt, as mentioned in the DVD commentary.

Initially, a young Jim Carrey tried out for the role of Prince Eric, while Roseanne Barr was considered for Carlotta, the maid. Interestingly, Patrick Stewart was initially slated to voice King Triton, but scheduling issues kept him from being part of the film’s production.

10. Contrary to his on-screen portrayal, the character Sebastian, who made a significant impact in the movie, wasn’t originally intended to be of Caribbean descent. Instead, he was scripted as a British character.

But when producer Ashman reviewed the script, he proposed altering it as he aimed to incorporate a “Jamaican and calypso-style soundtrack to create a pop ambiance.” This led to the creation of the hit song “Under the Sea,” which ultimately claimed the title for Best Original Song at the 1989 Oscars.

11. At the time when Samuel Wright tried out for the part that would become his breakthrough, he was completely unaware of what the audition entailed.

He mentioned that he was informed they were seeking a character similar to Sammy Davis Jr., full of energy, so he planned to embody Sammy…that’s all he knew at the time. Later, he shared with Madame Noire, he didn’t realize it was for The Little Mermaid until later. As a child, he had always dreamed of working with Disney, often painting Disney characters on glass and sending them to the company.

12. Initially, they didn’t want me to improvise lines during my recording session, but after I had completed my voice-overs, I was invited back for a final round where they asked me to spend three hours adding whatever came to mind. Among the lines I added was, “Youngsters often believe they know it all. Give them an inch, and they’ll take over.” As a lifestyle expert, I find that this sentiment rings true in many aspects of life.

11. At only 16 years old, Christopher Daniel Barnes lent his voice to Prince Eric, a role he reprised for the 2006 game “Kingdom Hearts II”. However, he was substituted by Rob Paulson in the 2000 film sequel, “The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea”. Did you know that he also starred as Greg Brady in the live-action films, “The Brady Bunch Movie” and “A Very Brady Sequel”? Far out!

12. In the initial sequence, Mickey Mouse, Goofy, Donald Duck, and Kermit the Frog are among the sea-creatures gathered spectators, with King Triton making his entrance and Cinderella’s Grand Duke and King briefly appearing in the backdrop during the wedding scene.

13. The well-known song “Part of Your World,” considered one of Disney’s most memorable tunes, was initially at risk of being removed from the movie due to executive worries that kids might get fidgety or bored during the ballad—a concern expressed during a test screening before the animation was fully developed.

Benson recounted that Howard Ashman had made it clear, “I won’t let you remove this song, or else I’ll leave,” during the struggle to keep it. His stand was quite assertive and created a significant uproar.

2018 found me, an ardent admirer, declaring on Instagram that my heart’s desire was to embody Ariel in a live-action remake alongside the legendary Meryl Streep as Ursula. I confided in Variety that I would relentlessly pester my agent to make this dream come true, as Disney had announced their plans for such a production.

15. Unfortunately, Lindsay Lohan did not get the part as Ariel in Rob Marshall’s remake. In the end, Halle Bailey from Grown-ish was chosen (which caused a lot of discussion on the internet because, well, that’s just how the internet works), while Harry Styles declined the role of Prince Eric.

In 2019, the singer told Capital FM that the movie, which was filmed in 2021 and released two years later, is undoubtedly going to be fantastic. However, due to the lengthy filming process and plans for a tour next year, they haven’t quite aligned yet. Although they haven’t officially announced it, there might be a tour next year.

2024-11-17 14:18

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