The Disney franchise has been releasing princess fairytales since 1937 when Snow White and the Seven Dwarves hit screens. Since then, there have been princess movies encompassing women of different ethnic backgrounds, races, and dreams. Shifting from the “damsel in distress” idea to the more recent passion-driven and family-centered princesses, Disney’s royalty is continuing to grow.
While live action princess remakes have become more frequent, there are over a dozen women who have graced our screens through the voices of our animated fairytales. From the early movies to the more recent princesses, here is what our beloved voice actors are doing in 2022.
10 Mary Costa (Aurora) Is Enjoying Retirement
In 1959, Disney’s Sleeping Beauty was released. Mary Costa was hired to voice Princess Aurora and is now living happily in retirement. This year Mary will be celebrating her 92nd birthday. Looking back at her biggest career accomplishments, she was a talented opera singer, as well as actress, although her last credited role was over two decades ago.
9 Jodi Benson (Ariel) Is Resting After Several Disney Releases
To start out her acting career, Jodi Benson was cast as Ariel in the 1989 film The Little Mermaid. This opened her up to the world of Disney, as she was cast in several animated films from the franchise over the last few decades. Some of her more recognizable roles are as Barbie in the Toy Story films, Helen of Troy in the Hercules tv series, and Sam from Enchanted. Her last role was in 2019, allowing her a few years to relax.
8 Paige O'Hara (Belle) Is An Artist Who Loves Meeting Fans
Paige O’Hara starred as the voice of Belle in the animated Beauty and the Beast back in 1991. Paige has kept busy since becoming a princess between taking more roles in Hollywood, turning to art, and connecting with fans. She has a website that she updates with blog post-type entries and information on upcoming meet ups that have been schedule for fans.
7 Ming-Na Wen (Mulan) Is Fully Immersed In Disney Productions
Mulan was released in 1998, and Ming-Na Wen portrayed Fa Mulan. In the last 24 years, Ming-Na Wen has deeply immersed herself in Disney culture by taking roles not only in Disney films, but also in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and Star Wars. She is a star in the series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and The Book of Boba Fett, reprising her role in the latter as Fennec from The Mandalorian.
6 Anika Noni Rose (Tiana) Has Been Cast In Several TV Series
Anika Noni Rose starred as Princess Tiana from The Princess and the Frog, which premiered in 2009. She has been cast in over 50 projects since joining the Disney franchise. While she has appeared in movies, Anika favors TV shows and currently has three in the works: one filming, one in post-production, and one in pre-production in which she’ll be reprising her role of Tiana.
5 Mandy Moore (Rapunzel) Stars In 'This Is Us' And Has A Baby
Tangled was released in 2010 as a twist on the story of Rapunzel, in which Mandy Moore was cast as the princess. The last few years have been busy for Mandy, as she continued to act while raising a newborn. Her son is almost a year old now, and she has been starring in the hit series This Is Us since 2016, causing her to find a happy medium between acting and being home with her family.
4 Kelly Macdonald (Merida) Has 3 Projects In Post-Production
In 2012, Disney’s Pixar branch released its first princess movie: Brave. Kelly Macdonald was cast to play Merida, the Scottish princess. Since then, she has been hired to act in many movies and television shows. Right now, Kelly has three titles in post-production, two of which will be released later this year entitled I Came By and Call My Agent (UK).
3 Kristen Bell (Princess Anna) Is Juggling Acting And Being A Mom
Kristen Bell was cast to voice Princess Anna of Arendelle in Disney’s hit movie Frozen. This film came out in 2013, and Kristen has been busy acting ever since. Not only is she a wife and mom of two, whom she has helped home school during the pandemic, but she already has two TV series that have released episodes this year, as well as two movies in post- and pre-production.
2 Idina Menzel (Queen Elsa) Is Balancing Broadway And Hollywood
Also a star in Frozen, Idina Menzel was cast to portray Queen Elsa. She was a star long before her Disney appearances, both in Hollywood and on Broadway. So far this year, Idina has already performed on the big stage for “WILD: A Musical Becoming” and has two films that are in post-production, one of which (Disenchanted) will release later this year.
1 Auli'i Cravalho (Moana) Has 4 Titles Currently In The Works
In 2016, Auli'i Cravalho was cast in her first acting job for the role of Moana in Disney’s Moana. She has since been cast in over a dozen projects, ranging from TV shows to movies to music videos. This year, Auli'i has four titles in the works: two television series and two movies, one of which is set to release next year.
