 Jennifer was a special guest at D23's one-year anniversary celebration at Disneyland. |
While she may not naturally boast a Southern drawl, Jennifer Cody is just as delightful and engaging in person as Charlotte La Bouff, her irrepressible character in The Princess and the Frog (in stores today on Disney DVD and Blu-ray™), is on screen. A longtime Disney fan, the recent New York transplant drove over the hill from her Los Angeles home to meet with D23 at the commissary on the Walt Disney Studios Lot. “I love it here,” she says of her cross-country move, while sitting in the sun on the commissary patio, soaking up the warmth. “I love the weather.” The actress boasts numerous Broadway credits including Beauty and the Beast, Seussical, Shrek the Musical, Taboo and Urinetown, where she got to work with her husband, Tony® Award nominee Hunter Foster. But one running theme in her life has been Disney, so we sat down to ask her 23 questions.
What’s your earliest Disney memory?
I didn’t remember this until I saw Princess and the Frog with my family in New York City on 42nd Street, and the movie started and the castle came up and I started to sob. When I was seven or eight, my grandparents had a one-bedroom apartment with two TVs. Every time they would babysit me on Sundays, at 7 o’clock I would run into my grandmother’s room and I would sit there and the castle would come up for Wonderful World of Disney. I never knew what I was going to see, but I knew it was going to be great.
Congratulations on your Annie Award for Outstanding Voice Acting in a Feature Production. You beat out some heavy hitters, including Dawn French, Hugh Laurie, John Leguizamo, and Princess co-star Jenifer Lewis. What was that like?
When I was nominated, my agent called me on the phone and said I was nominated for an Annie Award. Me, being from musical theater, was like Annie? Do I have to sing? I didn’t know what it meant. So I went on the website and saw who was nominated, and I said, ‘This is crazy!’ I went thinking how exciting that I get to meet all these other people who are nominated. I was so nervous about presenting that I never thought there was a chance that I could win. So then when they called my name, everybody around me stood up and started applauding, and my husband looked at me and said, ‘You have to go!’ It didn’t register that I had won!
What was your reaction the first time you saw The Princess and the Frog?
I couldn’t come to the premiere because I was doing a show. I flew here and they screened the movie for me by myself. Prior to that I had done my last recording session in New York. Most of mine had been done in New York with Ron [Clements] and John [Musker, the directors] on video. And at the end of my session, Ron said, ‘We have something to show you.’ And they played the first Charlotte scene and I started to cry like a little girl. I knew what she looked like, but I didn’t know how she’d move. And then I saw the movie, and I couldn’t even talk at the end. When you record, you don’t really know the story. You only know you’re scenes, and even then, you don’t know what made it in or what was cut. I was completely blown away.
Speaking of things that didn’t make it in, you have a great voice. Were you hoping Charlotte would have a big musical number?
I auditioned for a year-and-a-half singing so many songs! But the movie has to be about furthering the plot, and while it would have been great to have a song, Charlotte didn’t need it. She had a lot to say every time she was on the screen. Maybe in the sequel she’ll have a song! [NOTE: She's kidding --- no plans for a Princess sequel have been announced.]
Charlotte is spoiled but also lovable and kind. How do you balance that and not just have her come across as a brat?
I didn’t think of her as spoiled. I thought of her as knowing what she wanted. So I played her as determined. She knew exactly how she wanted to live. It was almost exactly like Tiana. Tiana knows exactly what she wants, but they’re just very different. And she evolved throughout recording. In some of the earlier scenes she was kind of bratty and a little mean in some of the things she said, and as I recorded I think they realized she can be very three-dimensional — ironic in a 2-D film!
Was doing Beauty and the Beast on Broadway your first Disney job?
It was not. Disney has been how I keep track of the success I had. I started off working at Walt Disney World. I was 18 — maybe 17. I was at a dance competition in Florida and while I was competing, a man came by and stuck a sticker of Donald Duck on me. I didn’t know what it was, but after the competition, he came up to me and asked if I’d like to audition for Disney. I got the job, went to college for two months, left a semester early, and spent three months living by myself in Kissimmee, Florida through Christmas and New Year’s. I remember crying on Christmas with my little tree. I worked in the park as a bunch of characters in Mickey’s Birthdayland. That was my first Disney job.
My second Disney job I was in the 101 Dalmatians show at Radio City Music Hall playing Minnie Mouse and “The Littlest Dalmatian.” That was my second step. Then I did Beauty and the Beast. And now I’m doing a film. Let’s keep going!!
You were in Shrek on Broadway, and despite it not being a Disney show, I hear you still found a Disney connection in the theater?
Yes! They premiered Steamboat Willie in that theater, the Broadway Theatre [NOTE: In 1928 it was called the Colony Theatre]. The spirit of Walt was somewhere in the Broadway Theatre!
Is Hunter a Disney fan too?
Not as much. My first boyfriend in college and I pooled our money to buy a Disney chess set which cost $399, and in college that is HUGE! We bought that. Hunter loves Disney, but I don’t think he grew up with it like I did.
Do you go to the parks together?
Yes! Sutton [Foster, Hunter's Tony Award-winning sister], Hunter and I went to Walt Disney World a couple years ago. I was totally caught off guard. I’m older and I worked there, but when the fireworks go off and they play that music, I cry. Who can not? And Tinker Bell flies — it’s so good!
What’s something people would be surprised to know about you?
I auditioned for a year and a half, and every three months or so I was called in and they’d say, ‘Can you do this?” For all that time, I chose a character and voice and stuck with it. So I got cast and they flew me out to have dinner with the directors, Ron and John, the night before my first recording session. We’re sitting there eating, and I asked, ‘Am I going to get a dialect coach before tomorrow?’ There was just silence. They stared at me. And then Ron said, ‘You have to do what you’ve been doing. That’s great!’ And I went, ‘Ohhh. I’ve been doing Foghorn Leghorn!’ They were so terrified. So she’s a little Foghorn Leghorn and a little Scarlet O’Hara.
Have you ever been starstruck?
Yes! I don’t get starstruck that often. But when I was doing Grease, Barbra Streisand came to see the show. She was in Brooke Shields’ dressing room and everyone was afraid to go in, and I said, ‘I’ll be damned if I’m going to let her leave this theater without meeting her.’ So I knocked on the door and she was in there in her cream pantsuit. And I said, ‘Ms. Streisand, I’m a huge fan. I grew up listening to all of your albums. And you are probably why I do what I do, so I just wanted to thank you so much.’ It was so eloquent and so well spoken. Then she says, ‘How do you do that with your voice?’ Because in the show I did a crazy squeak with my voice. But I wasn’t prepared for her to ask me a question. I was like, ‘Well, uh, uh, just, umm and duh.’ I made not a single word of sense.
I hear you participate in something called Sweaty Sundays. Can you explain?
I love Sweaty Sundays! It’s in Silver Lake on Sundays at noon. It’s an aerobics/’80s dance/drag show all in one class. Everybody dresses like the ’80s with the leg warmers and the headbands. The boys are wearing the high cut trunks. The guy who teaches it is a character. He’s kind of Corky St. Clair meets Cher. And it’s not about being a good dancer or a bad dancer because there are all levels. I guess the concept is that you sweat out what you did on Saturday night. We go every Sunday and we have so much fun! It’s ridiculous.
So we have some Disney-fied questions for you. Best Disney theme park attraction?
Oooh. I love Space Mountain. When I worked at Disney we would cheat and on our breaks we’d run and cut the line and ride Space Mountain twice and then go back for our next set. Except the lights went on once and it’s not as exciting with the lights on. Peter Pan’s Flight because I love Peter Pan. I think it’s cool that you ride above!
Favorite Disney character?
The first Disney character I ever did at Disney was Pinocchio, so I have an affinity for playing Pinocchio. But I love Minnie. What girl doesn’t love Minnie?
Favorite Disney movie?
The Little Mermaid by far. I love Ariel and I love the music and I love Ursula. And I didn’t even know Ron and John directed it, when I went through the audition process. Thank God or I probably would have been a nervous wreck!
What’s the most unique Disney item in your home?
My maquette of Charlotte. I saw it when I came to the Animation Studios for the first time. My animator, Nik [Ranieri], had it on his desk and I was like, ‘That’s amazing!’ It’s the most unique thing I think I will ever own.
If you could build one Disney park attraction, what would it be?
Hello? Charlotte’s Princess World! Why not? Little girls can come put on Charlotte clothes and pretend they’re princesses!
Disney song that best describes your personality?
As much as I love the new songs, I think “Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah.” Is that crazy? It always makes you happy.
Do you own any pieces of clothing with Disney characters on them?
I have a Mickey Mouse T-shirt. And I still have my sweatpants I wore on breaks — I stole them from Walt Disney World. They are really comfortable, blue sweats that have “WDW” on them.
If you could go to any Disney theme park, where would you go?
The ones I haven’t been to. I haven’t been to Euro [Disneyland Resort Paris]. I haven’t been to Tokyo. I’d like to go to Disneyland again because it’s been years.
Favorite Mouseketeer?
This is hard. My mom won an Annette Funicello lookalike contest when I was a kid. So she had an Annette shirt I used to put on all the time. But probably Karen [Pendleton] and Cubby [O'Brien] because they were the little ones.
Best Disney villain?
Scariest is the queen from Snow White. To this day I’m still terrified by her.
Happiest Disney moment?
Watching The Princess and the Frog with my family and friend in New York. They were all so proud!
By D23′s Jeffrey Epstein.
