“The Little Mermaid” voice actress Jodi Benson chatted about starring in “The Wingfeather Saga” Season 3 as Nia Wingfeather.
The synopsis is: Separated from Dugtown, the Igiby family faces their greatest challenges yet. As they endure loss and hardship, they must rely on courage and faith to press on.
With new dangers emerging and the threat of darkness growing, their journey will test them like never before. Hope must be their guiding light as they fight to reunite and stand against the forces that seek to tear them apart.
Benson on ‘The Wingfeather Saga’ Season 3
On being a part of “The Wingfeather Saga,” Benson remarked, “Oh my gosh, it’s so wonderful. I love our series. We were so thrilled with Season 3. It’s super exciting with lots of stress, action and big adventures.
For the fans, she expressed about “The Wingfeather Saga,” “I think that even in the midst of horrific circumstances, difficult situations, and danger when things look bleak, there is still hope.”
“Also, there is still a way to get through those difficult times. We’ve got to hang in there and keep taking one step at a time, and pressing forward that things are going to work out okay,” she explained.
Working with the cast of actors
“I loved working with this cast,” she exclaimed. “Everyone is really, really wonderful, and I am so thrilled and honored to get to work with them. They were so great.”
“We’ve had the same cast pretty much for every season, which is really surprising,” she admitted.
Lessons learned from this show
On the lessons learned from this show, Benson reflected, “It taught me that my character, Nia, is very brave and courageous. She’s probably stronger in those two areas than I am. I don’t think I’m as brave as Nia.”
“I really admire her strength in leadership and her strength as being a mom,” she said. “This season we deal with safety issues regarding her children and it’s pretty stressful.”
“I think she’s so solid and she’s so secure in her faith that nothing really rocks her world that much,” Benson acknowledged.
“I think those are the qualities that I’ve learned from her this season,” she added.
The digital age
On being a part of the digital age, at a time when streaming, technology and social media are prevalent, Benson said, “It’s very fun. We are just thankful that Angel Studios has supported ‘The Wingfeather Saga.’ We are the most crowdfunded animated series in history.”
“So, to have that kind of support through the app is just amazing, especially since families can really tangibly be part a product that they like to see more of,” she elaborated.
Stage of her life
On the title of the current chapter of her life, Benson revealed, “Pure Adventure.”
“I’ve been traveling quite a lot over the last three years, and I am coming to the end of my travel season with work. I will be able to take some time off for the holidays, which I’m looking forward to,” she explained.
“It has been a grand adventure this year.It really has. I’ve had some amazing experiences with our Disney company, stepping into a new role as an ambassador, which has been a huge honor,” she elaborated.
“I’m so thankful for the opportunity to get to connect with the fans and connect with the company in this new adventure for me. Learning how to do hard things has been good. It has been a good challenge for me,” she noted.
Benson on voicing Ariel in ‘The Little Mermaid’
On voicing Ariel in “The Little Mermaid,” Benson said, “I still do, so I’m very grateful for my job. I love my character. Anytime I get to be in the studio and sing the song almost every week is just pure joy for me.”
‘Pen Pals’
Today, it was announced that Benson will be starring in the Off-Broadway production of “Pen Pals” opposite Marcia Mitzman Gaven, which they will perform this March.
“I’m actually excited about that because I get to do it with Marcia, who is one of my best friends,” she said. “We both left New York after our final Broadway show, and we haven’t been back to do a project there. We are kind of nervous and scared at the same time.”
“So for both of us, it’s going to be 35 years, since we were in New York, and neither of us have done an Off-Broadway production or a play in New York,” she said.
“So there are a lot of firsts for both of us. ‘Pen Pals’ will be super fun,” she foreshadowed.
Key to longevity in the entertainment industry
On the key to longevity in the entertainment industry, she stated, “Oh, I don’t know. I think, for me, I love what I do and it’s the joy that I feel because I love what i do.”
“I hope that that translates to the people that I make connections with,” she added.
Success
On her definition of success, Benson responded, “That’s an interesting word. I don’t know if that’s really part of my vocabulary.”
“For me, it is being able to find ways to use my gifts, to express myself, to make connections with other people, sharing the and to share the gifts that God has given me,” she said.
“I feel very thankful for the journey that I’ve had throughout my career. For me, I feel I’ve been grateful that I’ve been able to pay bills and have food, shelter and really be able to stay connected to my family and to my friends,” she expressed.
“I feel that in my failures is where I’ve learned so much about myself and about my craft and about what I do and how I share my gifts,” she added.
Message for her fans
For her fans, Benson stated, “Thank you for all the love and support that you’ve shown me for many, many years. I love the way that they share their stories with me and what my character and the film mean to them.”
“It’s a great sense of responsibility to carry on my character with integrity and to make sure that they have that same feeling that they did the first time they saw the film,” she concluded.
To learn more about Jodi Benson, follow her on Instagram.
