Pat Carroll; Melissa McCarthy inThe Little Mermaid(2023).Photo:Getty, Courtesy of DisneyJodi Bensonis convincedPat Carrollwould be a fan ofMelissa McCarthy’s take on Ursula.Benson, the voice of Ariel in 1989’s animatedThe Little Mermaid, tells PEOPLE that her costar Carroll, whodied in July at 95, would have approved ofMcCarthy’s version of the villainous sea witchin the new live-action reimagining.“Oh my gosh, she would love it. I told Melissa, she just paid such a beautiful tribute to Pat and her performance, and I just thought she was absolutely wonderful as Ursula,” says Benson, 61. “Knowing Pat would really be thrilled with that, I did tell Melissa. I said, ‘Pat would really, really love your performance and what you’ve brought to it.’ ““She paid tribute to Pat, but then she made it her own and brought her own sense of humor into it,” she adds. “It is a great blending of both of those ladies and their talents.“Jodi Benson.Matt Winkelmeyer/GA/The Hollywood Reporter via GettyNever miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.Benson recalls Carroll as “incredibly giving and kind and loving.“She adds of working with the vocal cast of the original: “We were all theater-based people, so we knew how to work as a team. There were no egos involved while we recorded. It was a give and take.““She was one of the funniest people, but so genuine and such a team player,” Benson says of Carroll. “She was kind and loving — and then frightening behind the mic. It was fun to see her transform into frightening, at the same time.“The updatedLittle Mermaidadaptation has a new Ariel, of course, inHalle Bailey, a singer with a star-making lead performance. How did Benson respond to seeing Bailey, 23, and her version of the Disney princess?Halle Bailey and Jodi Benson.Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Disney"Halle’s interpretation of Ariel is absolutely beautiful. I loved everything that she did with the film,” she says. “I love the acting, I love the singing, and just the pure spirit. Her beautiful love for the character comes through. It’s just a beautiful, beautiful performance.“Adds Benson of director Rob Marshall’s new movie, “The way they paid tribute to the integrity of our original film just comes shining through in such a beautiful way.“The Little Mermaidis in theaters Friday.
Pat Carroll; Melissa McCarthy inThe Little Mermaid(2023).Photo:Getty, Courtesy of Disney
Getty, Courtesy of Disney
Jodi Bensonis convincedPat Carrollwould be a fan ofMelissa McCarthy’s take on Ursula.Benson, the voice of Ariel in 1989’s animatedThe Little Mermaid, tells PEOPLE that her costar Carroll, whodied in July at 95, would have approved ofMcCarthy’s version of the villainous sea witchin the new live-action reimagining.“Oh my gosh, she would love it. I told Melissa, she just paid such a beautiful tribute to Pat and her performance, and I just thought she was absolutely wonderful as Ursula,” says Benson, 61. “Knowing Pat would really be thrilled with that, I did tell Melissa. I said, ‘Pat would really, really love your performance and what you’ve brought to it.’ ““She paid tribute to Pat, but then she made it her own and brought her own sense of humor into it,” she adds. “It is a great blending of both of those ladies and their talents.“Jodi Benson.Matt Winkelmeyer/GA/The Hollywood Reporter via GettyNever miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.Benson recalls Carroll as “incredibly giving and kind and loving.“She adds of working with the vocal cast of the original: “We were all theater-based people, so we knew how to work as a team. There were no egos involved while we recorded. It was a give and take.““She was one of the funniest people, but so genuine and such a team player,” Benson says of Carroll. “She was kind and loving — and then frightening behind the mic. It was fun to see her transform into frightening, at the same time.“The updatedLittle Mermaidadaptation has a new Ariel, of course, inHalle Bailey, a singer with a star-making lead performance. How did Benson respond to seeing Bailey, 23, and her version of the Disney princess?Halle Bailey and Jodi Benson.Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Disney"Halle’s interpretation of Ariel is absolutely beautiful. I loved everything that she did with the film,” she says. “I love the acting, I love the singing, and just the pure spirit. Her beautiful love for the character comes through. It’s just a beautiful, beautiful performance.“Adds Benson of director Rob Marshall’s new movie, “The way they paid tribute to the integrity of our original film just comes shining through in such a beautiful way.“The Little Mermaidis in theaters Friday.
Jodi Bensonis convincedPat Carrollwould be a fan ofMelissa McCarthy’s take on Ursula.
Benson, the voice of Ariel in 1989’s animatedThe Little Mermaid, tells PEOPLE that her costar Carroll, whodied in July at 95, would have approved ofMcCarthy’s version of the villainous sea witchin the new live-action reimagining.
“Oh my gosh, she would love it. I told Melissa, she just paid such a beautiful tribute to Pat and her performance, and I just thought she was absolutely wonderful as Ursula,” says Benson, 61. “Knowing Pat would really be thrilled with that, I did tell Melissa. I said, ‘Pat would really, really love your performance and what you’ve brought to it.’ "
“She paid tribute to Pat, but then she made it her own and brought her own sense of humor into it,” she adds. “It is a great blending of both of those ladies and their talents.”
Jodi Benson.Matt Winkelmeyer/GA/The Hollywood Reporter via Getty
Matt Winkelmeyer/GA/The Hollywood Reporter via Getty
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Benson recalls Carroll as “incredibly giving and kind and loving.”
She adds of working with the vocal cast of the original: “We were all theater-based people, so we knew how to work as a team. There were no egos involved while we recorded. It was a give and take.”
“She was one of the funniest people, but so genuine and such a team player,” Benson says of Carroll. “She was kind and loving — and then frightening behind the mic. It was fun to see her transform into frightening, at the same time.”
The updatedLittle Mermaidadaptation has a new Ariel, of course, inHalle Bailey, a singer with a star-making lead performance. How did Benson respond to seeing Bailey, 23, and her version of the Disney princess?
Halle Bailey and Jodi Benson.Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Disney
Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Disney
“Halle’s interpretation of Ariel is absolutely beautiful. I loved everything that she did with the film,” she says. “I love the acting, I love the singing, and just the pure spirit. Her beautiful love for the character comes through. It’s just a beautiful, beautiful performance.”
Adds Benson of director Rob Marshall’s new movie, “The way they paid tribute to the integrity of our original film just comes shining through in such a beautiful way.”
The Little Mermaidis in theaters Friday.
source: people.com
