Yahoo Lifestyle 10 Fascinating Stories From Ariel's Reference Model That Made Me See "The Little Mermaid" In A Whole New Light
It's hard to believe that it's been 35 years since we were introduced to Ariel, Eric, Flounder, Ursula, and so many classic characters.
While researching the film, I read how Disney animators hired reference models to help "capture a more believable realistic figure" (Cartoon Research). A famous example is Marge Champion, the reference model for Snow White.
To celebrate 35 years of The Little Mermaid, I reached out to Ariel's reference model, Sherri Stoner, to hear how she and the animators brought Ariel to life.
Note: This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
1) Sherri was asked to audition as Ariel's reference model when her improv comedy troupe, The Groundlings, visited Disney Studios.
Sherri Stoner: I was really happy to be asked because I thought it would just be the coolest little job ever. I've been an animation geek my whole life. At that point, I wasn't writing animation yet, and I was still primarily acting. They sent me the script, and I thought it was just fantastic. I read it, and I just thought, this is really great stuff. If I remember correctly, in the audition, they gave me a little snippet of Jodi Benson's [Ariel's voice actor] track and had me lip-sync to it and do some movements.
When I found out I got it, I was thrilled! I thought that it would be a job where no one would know that I did it except for me and my friends and family. I didn't realize that the movie would become so mega-successful that people wanted more and more information about it. And people, rightfully so, were kind of fascinated by what that entailed.
Sherri performing with The Groundlings at their 40th anniversary celebration.
2) Sherri worked as Ariel's reference model for two to four days a month, for over a year.
Sherri: They had storyboards of what they wanted her movement to be. They would show me on the storyboard, like, she swims over here, and she picks up this, and then play Jodi Benson's track. I would lip-sync to that and do the movements, sort of like blocking in a play. I pretty much stuck to the storyboard, but you also be yourself and infuse yourself into it.
They had kind of a grid behind me on the wall, which I assume helped with perspective. We filmed most scenes in the same little space. I would act out the dialog and just be myself, and they would use the video as a reference for when they drew Ariel. It's just such a cool thing to be turned into a cartoon character!
3) Sherri's improv work, and prior acting experience in shows like Little House On The Prairie came in handy.
Sherri: Being an actress, especially in The Groundlings, made me very fearless about not being afraid to make a fool of myself on stage. I also had several guest spots on shows where I got to be in Westerns, and it was such a fantasy come true. I loved wearing the clothes. The whole vibe of it was really cool to me. It led me not to be self-conscious when I would flounce around in this leotard and tights, acting out the scenes for Ariel.
4) Many of Sherri's expressions and movements became a part of Ariel's character.
Sherri: I do see myself in Ariel; I recognize bits of me in there. They would use little things that I would do. My bangs were long, so I blew my hair out of my face.
Check out a compilation of Sherri's reference scenes from The Little Mermaid.
5) Additional Examples:
Sherri: A lot of her hand movements were mine. People who know me very well recognized certain movements that she did as mine, particularly when she's at the dinner table and she's trying to get Sebastian underneath the dome, that kind of panicky sort of movement.
(See 1:05 in the YouTube video for a behind-the-scenes clip!)
Also Ariel biting her lip:
In a Cartoon Research interview, animator Mark Henn noted that Sherri's quirks, like the lip bite, were "able to bring to the character a unique and believable spark which [they] may not have thought of otherwise."
And Ariel's hand motions, when she is at the doorway and overhears bad news from Prince Eric:
6) Sherri worked with one other reference model for Prince Eric [Joshua Finkel], and they used props to represent the sea creatures.
Sherri: We just used goofy little props to represent the sea creatures. For Flounder, they used a puppet. They would hold the puppet up so I could talk to him, and Flotsam and Jetsam, I think, were hand puppets, just like sock puppets. There was a reference model for Eric, and I acted with him, but he was the only other person.
7) The most difficult reference work was the ocean scenes. The crew used a large tank and a pool at the YMCA.
Sherri: They put me in this giant tank of water out on the side of the building, and it was probably nine feet deep. It was small and had port holes on the side so you could film somebody in the water—and the water was so cold, so deep, and it was winter. They wanted me to go down there so they could film my hair as I swam and get that kind of movement because it's really tricky to draw all that hair underwater. I didn't have to do it too long, about 10 minutes in the tank. Another day, we went to a YMCA and filmed in the pool for the shipwreck scene where Ariel rescues Eric.
But it was a joy all the way through. I mean, even the tank was kind of fun. When are you ever going to get to do that? I think being cold in the tank was probably the hardest part.
BuzzFeed: When you were swimming in the water, did you kind of have to imitate your legs like a fin?
Sherri: (Laughs) No, [the animators] can do that. They were good at the fin—I never had to act like I had a fin.
Check out The Little Mermaid behind-the-scenes bonus feature to see a look at the tank!
8) Her most memorable scene was filming the iconic "Part Of Your World."
Sherri: On the "Part of Your World" song, I got to work directly with Glen Keane [character animator] on that one, and he had it all mapped out. It was so cute because he would act it out, you know, he showed me this is where you get up on your arms and proudly sing, and all this stuff. And I think that was the most memorable part of it.
(Behind-the-scenes video clip!)
9) One of Sherri's funniest memories is the filming of "Kiss The Girl."
Sherri: I remember we were doing the "Kiss The Girl" song, and the fella that played Eric and I were on a dolly. They were spinning us as we looked romantically into each other's eyes. That just sticks in my brain. It's like a really kind of absurd moment because we're just sitting on this dolly in the middle of this little sound stage being spun as the song plays.
(Behind-the-scenes video clip!)
10) Sherri was called back to work as the reference model for Belle in Beauty and the Beast.
Sherri: They called me and asked me, and I said, "Yeah, sure!" Belle didn't require as much work because she's just a human girl moving through the world, so it's not as physical, and she's not as quirky as as Ariel. So it was an easier process; there wasn't as much of it. I didn't do it as often as I did the Ariel stuff. It was such a great movie!
Sherri went on to have a successful career in animation, writing and producing for shows like Tiny Toons Adventures and Animaniacs.
Fun fact: She provided the voice for Animaniacs' Slappy Squirrel!
BuzzFeed: The Little Mermaid turns 35 this month, which I find absolutely mind blowing. What is your reaction to the continued legacy of the film?
Sherri: I knew the script was really, really good when I read it, and so I had high hopes for it. The team that I worked with were all such geniuses. They were just so great at what they did, but I didn't realize that it would be so successful and such a huge hit for Disney. I'm very thrilled that it was.
Thank you to Sherri Stoner for taking the time to share her amazing memories of an iconic role. What does The Little Mermaid mean to you? Let me know in the comments below!
