4 Subtle Details In These Disney Princess Movies That Actually Came Directly From The Voice Actors

Recently, I got to sit down with Disney Legends Paige O'Hara, Linda Larkin, Jodi Benson, and Anika Noni Rose, the voices of Belle, Jasmine, Ariel, and Tiana, respectively.

Paige O'Hara, Linda Larkin, Jodi Benson, and Anika Noni Rose stand together in elegant outfits in front of a castle-themed backdrop
Courtesy of Disney

I recently learned that Ming-Na Wen shared a cute story about the scene when Mulan was sitting under the cherry blossom tree and playing with her hair. She said her mom had told her that's when she saw Ming-Na, that Ming-Na always plays with her hair, and it was so telling when Mulan did it that Mulan WAS Ming-Na.

Twitter: @MingNa

Mulan sits pensively on a stone bench, surrounded by blooming cherry blossoms
Mulan sits pensively on a stone bench, surrounded by blooming cherry blossoms
Ming-Na Wen on the red carpet in an off-shoulder, textured dress at a casting society event. Backdrop features multiple sponsor logos
Ming-Na Wen on the red carpet in an off-shoulder, textured dress at a casting society event. Backdrop features multiple sponsor logos

Disney, Amanda Edwards / Getty Images

I was curious to know when these four princesses saw themselves in their character, too, and their responses honestly warmed my heart.

"For me it was the lock of hair," said Paige O'Hara.

Debbie Reynolds smiles wearing a blue off-shoulder dress and a statement necklace at a red carpet event
Steve Granitz / WireImage

"I had long hair; it was always a mess, and I never fixed it. My hair was in my face, and Mark Henn, next thing I know, she's using the finger to move the hair aside."

Closeup of Paige O'Hara
Closeup of Paige O'Hara
Belle from Beauty and the Beast stands in front of rustic buildings with a warm, slightly worried expression, wearing a simple dress with a blue ribbon in her hair
Belle from Beauty and the Beast stands in front of rustic buildings with a warm, slightly worried expression, wearing a simple dress with a blue ribbon in her hair

Disney Movies / Via youtube.com, Disney / Via youtube.com

"That was definitely me."

Belle from Beauty and the Beast adjusts her hood, rubs her eyes, combs her hair with her fingers, and looks pleased in a series of four images
Disney

Mark Henn was the supervising animator for all four of these princesses. He worked on over 25 Disney movies and just recently became a Disney Legend at this year's D23 Expo.

A man is drawing a cartoon character at a desk filled with animation tools, sketches, and character figurines in an animation studio
Walt Disney Co. / ©Walt Disney Co./Courtesy Everett Collection

"I would say for my character, it would be 'Part of Your World,'" said Jodi Benson.

A woman with curly hair smiles on a red carpet. She is wearing an embellished lace dress with a sheer cape
Alberto E. Rodriguez / Getty Images for Disney

"All during that song, when she's singing, 'burn' is me, 'more' is me, closing the eyes, biting the lip..."

Jodi and Ariel both singing the same part of the song. Jodi is shown singing, and Ariel sings "Burn" in an underwater scene
Disney / Jonathan Najera / Via youtube.com

"So I would say all of those kinds of mannerisms, especially when I'm singing, is really when I notice that."

Ariel swims underwater with Flounder in a scene from The Little Mermaid, surrounded by sunken ship parts
Disney

Anika Noni Rose who voiced Tiana said, "The thing that my mom noticed immediately, she was so tickled about, and other people have noticed: the eyebrow."

Anika Noni Rose smiles on the red carpet in a glamorous off-shoulder dress with a fur-like neckline
Michael Loccisano / Getty Images

"It's not something I think about, and it is on my face all of the time. My eyebrows have a conversation that my mouth should be having, and she is living in Tiana."

Screenshot from
Screenshot from
A person wearing a headset and an orange striped shirt is singing into a studio microphone
A person wearing a headset and an orange striped shirt is singing into a studio microphone

Disney, Walt Disney Studios Philippines / Via youtube.com

"[My mom] loved it," Anika continued. "The first time she saw Tiana, the first time you saw bits of her on television...she would pop up at the bottom of the screen and the frog was there."

Tiana from The Princess and the Frog hesitantly kisses a frog, her eyes half-closed and lips puckered
Disney

"So she would pull back, and her eyebrow was in the air like, 'Oh, I'm not kissing a frog!' My mother was like, 'That's your eyebrow.'"

Tiana, wearing a white gown and tiara, holds a puckering frog on her gloved hand, looking displeased, from Disney's The Princess and the Frog
Disney

Here's another fun fact, Anika requested Tiana be left-handed because Anika herself is left-handed.

Anika Noni Rose smiling and saying "I knew it! I called it!" with the word "CELEB" in the top right corner
BuzzFeed

For Jasmine, Linda Larkin said, "The time that people recognize me the most in Jasmine is when Jasmine is interacting with Rajah."

Linda Larkin in a sleeveless black dress with cutouts, smiling at the "Ralph Breaks the Internet" premiere
Getty

"I know Rajah's a cat, but I think that big cat feeling and the way I would imagine it when I was doing those lines, it would be how I interact with my big dogs."

Jasmine from Disney's Aladdin is feeding Rajah the tiger. Jasmine wears a two-piece outfit with gold accessories
Disney

"Linda's been very active with dogs anyway," mentioned Paige O'Hara. She raises guide dogs!

Anyway, I loved how all of the voices see themselves in little parts of the princesses. I think it's so wholesome.

Anika Noni Rose stands next to a person dressed as Princess Tiana in a princess gown at a themed event
Handout / Getty Images

Who's your favorite Disney princess? Tell us in the comments below!