Original “Little Mermaid” actress Jodi Benson cried watching daughter sing 'Part of Your World' on stage as Ariel

Benson tells EW she "wept throughout the show" after attending a recent performance of "The Little Mermaid" starring her daughter, Delaney.

Look at this clip, isn't it neat? Little Mermaid actress Jodi Benson's full-circle moment is sweetly complete.

After a TikTok video went viral Monday showing Disney's original Ariel voice actress adorably watching her daughter, Delaney, perform as the classic animated film's titular character in a stage production of The Little Mermaid, Jodi tells Entertainment Weekly she was overcome with emotion at the performance.

"I was completely blown away by Delaney’s brilliant performance. She was truly born to play Ariel. The whole experience was so surreal," Jodi explains to EW in an exclusive statement. "I wept throughout the show. I am so honored to pass on my treasured dinglehopper to my daughter. Delaney has created her character of Ariel with such love, strength, vulnerability, curiosity and honesty. I’m so incredibly proud of my daughter!"

The footage from the Miami, Fla. stage musical depicts the 62-year-old watching as her daughter approaches, pulling out a fork as she begins to sing the film's signature song, "Part of Your World," which was first created by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman for the 1989 classic.

Jodi later shared the fan-captured clip to her Instagram Story on Monday, with the user who originally posted the video writing that she enjoyed "watching the original Ariel supporting her daughter" in the production.

Reactions to the video included praise for Delaney's vocals, as well as fans pointing out similarities between the two actresses.

"She looks just like her, omg!" one TikTok user wrote, while another added: "I thought the girl singing was [Jodi.] She looks and sounds just like her."

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Related: All the women who have played Ariel in The Little Mermaid

Delaney previously told Mamas Uncut that the new, shorter stage version of The Little Mermaid is slightly “different [from] the animated movie," and incorporates immersive elements — which, seen in the TikTok video, include props that the audience can interact with, as well as highly themed seating that appears to be scattered about in the undersea environment.

"The audience will be right below [me]. I can see them. I can feel them. I can smell them. It’s like nothing I’ve ever done," Delaney added.

Since fronting The Little Mermaid 35 years ago, Jodi has both carried the film's legacy and passed it on to a new generation, as she gave Halle Bailey — star of Disney's 2023 live-action Little Mermaid remake — her blessing to take on the role of Ariel. The stars even met and exchanged words at the film's world premiere in Los Angeles.

"She doesn't need any advice from me!" Benson joked in an interview with Entertainment Tonight. "She's brilliant. I did get to meet her a few times and chat with her and just tell her how proud I was of her, and I love that she has a purity of heart and a pure spirit, and you can see that vulnerability and that childlike bravery and courage coming through, and it's beautiful. I'm so thrilled for her and I'm so proud of her."

Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly.