'Pocahontas' turns 25: 5 things you didn't know
1995's "Pocahontas" was a big step forward for Disney as Irene Bedard (Pocahontas) was the first non-white actress to be the speaking voice of a Disney Princess. As the movie celebrates its 25th anniversary, Yahoo Entertainment talked to Bedard about her thoughts on the movie including which song initially gave her misgivings, how Pocahontas had a mother in earlier versions, how she's in the best sisterhood on the planet, and more.
Video Transcript
[CHIRP]
- No! Not that way.
[SPLASH]
Show-off.
ETHAN ALTER: You were the first non-white Disney princess. And that is a huge achievement. We've seen, since then, Mulan and, obviously, Princess Tiana. Did you feel that representation right away made a difference?
IRENE BEDARD: I basically am that generation where it sort of shifted from all cowboys and Indians movies where the Indians were the bad guys. I mean, I even remember, at one point, having a "cowboys and Indians" birthday party, with, you know-- and the little cowboy hats and all the kids wanting to be cowboys, right? So one thing that-- you know, so it wasn't something that struck me growing up.
But I think, in general, this story and what it had, it was really a very first representation-- positive representation-- not only of native culture and, you know, the respect for the elders, the respect for-- for nature, the Earth, the animals, and very much so respect for the coming generations. And those all were sort of presented in "Pocahontas." But that being said, it is not historically accurate.
11 years old was probably the age that Pocahontas was when John Smith came. So, you know, she was a princess. She was also touted, you know, as being beautiful.
And out of all of the Disney princesses up until then, she was looking to find her own strength. She doesn't wait for the prince to come and save her. She saves the prince.
[MUSIC - "SAVAGES"]
- (SINGING) Savages, savages! Demons! Devils!
- Kill them!
- (SINGING) Savages, Savages!
- What are we waiting for?
ETHAN ALTER: Speaking earlier to the movie's relevance, listening to the song "Savages" now is very timely. And it's really interesting how much that song speaks to the present moment, even as it was capturing this ancient history as well. Is that another song that, to you, sort of stands out from the film?
IRENE BEDARD: Oh, yeah. And actually, when I first saw it, I was like, oh. Like, why did we have to go there, in a way? You know, like, why do we even-- like, why do we have to go that far, that deep into it?
It's so fraught, the word "savages," right? So it's so-- my first instinct was to go-- was to go, oh, no. But then to see how-- what story it was showing, that both sides were looking at each other in this way where you're less than, you're less than, you're-- I'm better, I'm better, ultimately to hate, hate.
[MUSIC - JUDY KUHN, "COLORS OF THE WIND"]
- (SINGING) Have you ever heard the wolf cry to the blue corn moon or asked the grinning bobcat why he grinned?
ETHAN ALTER: What did you think when you heard "Colors of the Wind" for the first time? That's sort of the movie's anthem. When you heard it sung for the first time, what went through your head?
IRENE BEDARD: Beautiful. Amazing. And it's still-- you know, still amazing to look at those lyrics and-- even just looking at the lyrics. I think it's very efficient. It puts so much into one song in such a succinct and beautiful way, both the lyricism, and the music, and the performance that it's no wonder it-- Academy Award and all. [LAUGHS]
- Grandmother Willow, I need to talk to you.
- Good morning, child. I was hoping you'd visit today. [GASPS] Wow. Your mother's necklace!
ETHAN ALTER: One thing I had read was that there was a push early on to hope to allow Pocahontas to have a mother. Because a lot of times, Disney kids are orphans. [LAUGHS] And especially mothers tend to die in Disney movies a lot. Do you remember that was ever a storyline, that she had a mother, that you recorded scenes with her?
IRENE BEDARD: There was a mother. The thing is that, in history, though, she didn't have a mother. So what do they do there? You know, do they go with that, you know, or do they continue-- or do they go with the-- with history? I think, ultimately, after getting our father there and to have Grandmother Willow, it felt like it served that in that way. She had that whole village around her-- Nakoma, and Grandmother Willow, and her father, and all-- the whole village.
- My name is Pocahontas.
- I'm John Smith.
- Did you get a chance to record with Mel Gibson in person at all? Or were you ever in the room with any of the actors you worked with?
IRENE BEDARD: I did do one voice recording session with Russell Means. Russell really wanted to have someone to banter with, to go-- to go off of. Because we're all film and television actors, Mel at the time was working on "Braveheart," so was not able to make it to any of the premieres. I got to meet everyone at the premiere, minus Mel, who I have yet to this day to meet. [LAUGHS] We did an entire movie together, and I have yet to meet him.
- What kind of a princess are you?
- What kind?
- Do you have magic hair?
- No.
- Magic hands?
- No.
ETHAN ALTER: Do you guys have a secret Disney princess handshake or anything, since you're all part of a very exclusive club?
IRENE BEDARD: It is, like, probably the best sisterhood on the planet, I think. You know, I mean, it's pretty amazing. And you know, I got to go on the new Guardians of the Galaxy over and over and over again with Anika Noni Rose and Auli'i Cravalho, who played Moana. Paige O'Hara, Jodi Benson, Linda Larkin, we get to see each other a lot. Like, we just did a Give Kids the World. It's a village for kids with life-threatening diseases that get to have, like, ice cream 24/7, and birthday parties, and prince and princess parties, and Christmas, and, you know, all in one week. And it's just so nice to be a part of that sisterhood. [LAUGHS]
