The Actresses Who Voiced Disney's Beloved Princesses Name Their Surprising Pick for Best Disney Villain (Exclusive)
The actresses behind Princesses Tiana, Jasmine, Ariel and Belle shared some of their favorite nostalgic Disney memories with PEOPLE recently
Courtesy of Disney
Paige O'Hara, Linda Larkin, Jodi Benson and Anika Noni Rose in 2024Disney Princesses are known for their beautiful voices, flawless fashions and close friendships. But that doesn't mean they can't enjoy a bit of the Disney dark side, too.
Speaking to PEOPLE recently while promoting the Disney Create Your World campaign at the Disney Grand Californian Hotel in Anaheim, the original voices of Ariel, Belle, Jasmine and Tiana dished on their favorite animated movie villains.
“Well, first of all, I love Ursula,” said Anika Noni Rose, the voice of The Princess and the Frog's Princess Tiana. “Her song ["Poor Unfortunate Souls"] is magnificent, the fact that she's singing about people and then she says, 'So what, who cares?' I love her."
"I adore Ursula," added Jodi Benson, who (ironically) played Ariel in The Little Mermaid. "I want to play Ursula. I'm at that age now where I need to play Ursula."
As for their fellow princesses and protagonists, picking a favorite wasn't quite so easy.
“I'm going to say Cinderella because that is Disney to me,” said Benson. “I grew up with Cinderella. I was her. I was going to do what she did and just get out of the basement in Illinois cleaning because I was a janitor. That was my first job. So I really related to Cinderella scrubbing toilets."
“For me, I went into the business because of Julie Andrews and Mary Poppins, my first movie I ever saw," said Paige O'Hara, who voiced Beauty and the Beast's Belle. "I said, 'I am in love with that woman and I want to be her.' And then I got to spend a whole weekend hanging out with her at Disney World one weekend when she was on her own. That was a dream come true."
Linda Larkin, a.k.a. Aladdin's Princess Jasmine, went with the nostalgic pick.
“I might answer you differently on a different day, but Winnie-the-Pooh," she said. "That was my childhood favorite Disney character."
Courtesy of Disney
Paige O'Hara, Linda Larkin, Jodi Benson and Anika Noni Rose in 2024 with Moana, Sleeping Beauty and RapunzelNever miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer??, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
During their time at the event, the beloved voice actors were joined by Disney Princess cast members including Sleeping Beauty, Moana and Rapunzel, to much excitement from the children who were in attendance.
The Disney Create Your World campaign celebrates a new collection of Disney products that encourages people to explore their imaginations, just ahead of World Princess Week, which runs from Aug. 25 to Aug. 31.
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