Toon Talk Special: The 101 Greatest Disney Voice Artists - Part 2 of 2
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The Princesses
They're wishing for the ones they love to find them, they've danced with them once upon a
dream.
They want adventure in the great wide somewhere, just watch and you'll see, someday
they'll be part of that world.
And no matter how their hearts are grieving, if they keep on believing, the dreams that
they wish will come true ...
Jodi Benson
Ariel - (c) Disney
Like her co-star Samuel E. Wright, Benson has had quite a run as the Little Mermaid Ariel. In addition to turning in a stellar performance in the feature film, Benson has played the under-the-sea princess in The Little Mermaid and House of Mouse on television, The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea on video, and on several best-selling albums.
She has also supplied the voices for Weebo the robot in Flubber, Helen of Troy in the Hercules television series, Lady in Lady & the Tramp II: Scamp's Adventure (perfectly emulating Barbara Luddy's vocal cadences) and all of the Barbies in Toy Story 2.
Paige O'Hara
As the beautiful voice of Belle in Beauty & the Beast, O'Hara created a heroine that we all can admire. Not only does she love to read, but her love saves the life of the Prince and all his subjects. Notice Belle's habit of tucking in a loose strand of her hair? The animators got that bit of business from O'Hara.
O'Hara returned as Belle in the videos Beauty & the Beast: An Enchanted Christmas and Belle's Magical World and in the television series Sing Me a Story with Belle.
Ilene Woods
(c) Disne
Woods' lilting soprano as Cinderella singing such Disney classics as "A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes", "Sing Sweet Nightingale" and "So This Is Love" magically brought this fairy tale romance to life. In her only credited film role, the shoe sure fit.
Mary Costa
A trained opera singer, Costa was an ideal choice as Princess Aurora in the Disney animated version of Sleeping Beauty. The score, which incorporated themes from Tchaikovsky's famed ballet, showcased her melodious voice in such songs as "I Wonder" and "Once Upon a Dream".
Adrianne Caselotti
The fairest of them all.
Legend has it that Walt Disney auditioned all of the singers for the pivotal role of Snow White from behind a partition so that he would not be influenced by their looks. Young Caselotti was actually the very first girl to audition, and her childlike voice won her the role out of 150 competitors. She was only 18 when cast.
After Snow White & the Seven Dwarfs, Caselotti's only other film role was as the voice of "Juliet" in another childhood classic, The Wizard of Oz.