Overview
- At New York Comic Con on Oct. 11, Jodi Benson said daughter Delaney is “doing her own path” in acting during the Part of Your World panel with co-star Christopher Daniel Barnes.
- Delaney, 24, attended the event with family and previously played Ariel for Area Stage in Miami from July 11 to Aug. 4, 2024.
- Benson identified Ariel’s tenacity and independent spirit as traits she connected with most strongly.
- She said the father–daughter dynamic was difficult to access because she lacked a relationship with her own father, crediting Howard Ashman for helping her build that emotional foundation.
- Answering an audience question, Benson named the 1989 animated film as her preferred iteration due to its emotion and history, while noting her appreciation for later stage and live-action versions.