There have been several popular characters introduced by Nintendo since its inception into video games, but very few have had the longevity of Princess Peach.
Sometimes referred to as Princess Toadstool, she made her debut in Super Mario Bros in 1985, and has since been described as one of the most influential and recognizable characters in video games.
Although several actresses have voiced Princess Peach over the years, the first person to do so in games was the lesser-known Jocelyn Benford, who portrayed her in the cult classic Hotel Mario on the ill-fated Philips CD-i. If you know your gaming history, then you'll be aware that Philips was given the chance to work with Nintendo IP when it inked a deal to create a CD-ROM attachment for the SNES that ultimately didn't happen.
We did a bit of research, and found that Benford's career has taken a somewhat different path since she worked on Hotel Mario. She resides in New York City where she teaches and paints. She’s never been interviewed about her memorable role as Mario’s love interest, so we were appreciative that she sat down with us to discuss her short (and sweet) career in video game voice acting with us.
Time Extension: Were you familiar with Nintendo prior to being cast in Hotel Mario?
Jocelyn Benford: I was because we had a Game Boy. I was familiar with the Mario Bros franchise, but I mostly played Tetris and other puzzle games. I probably played some of Nintendo’s arcade games, but I don’t entirely remember.
How were you cast in Hotel Mario?
My husband [Michael Ahn] worked at Philips Interactive. In fact, he was one of the producers of the console. We were close with several of the developers of Hotel Mario. I had been an actress for roughly a decade by then, and one of my specialties was doing staged readings of plays in development.
I was known for being able to bring words on a page to life. Marc Graue, who was well-known for doing voiceovers, was already cast to do Mario, Luigi, and Bowser, so I’d imagine that they felt they could take a chance on an unknown like myself.
She [Princess Peach] didn’t have a lot of dialogue, anyway.
Were you paid for your role?
I was paid a bit, but even better was that I qualified and got inducted into the Screen Actors Guild. I was already a member of the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, but this was before the two unions merged.
What was the atmosphere like during recording?
Things were very relaxed at the studio. Marc Graue enjoyed telling jokes and keeping everyone upbeat. I was there for a few days for recording.
The director would tell me what he felt was the desired tone and range for Princess Peach, and I proceeded to do various voices until they heard one that was a good fit.
How did everyone feel about the finished product after its release?
We felt proud of what we accomplished. The CD-i had just been released, and the technology was so new and untested. We were hopeful that the console and video games would make a splash with audiences, but it didn’t.
I guess we did well though since Hotel Mario still has a lot of fans. I’m so surprised that a 30-year-old video game still has such a following.
Why didn’t you do more voiceover work?
My husband was hired by Microsoft just weeks after we finished Hotel Mario, so we relocated to Seattle. While we were there, I did some commercials. I did stage productions as well, like For Marrieds Only and Side Work, the latter of which I won an award for.
I eventually left acting altogether and taught at an elementary school in Brooklyn, which was very fulfilling.
Would you reprise your role as Princess Peach if given the opportunity?
I loved doing voiceovers, but my voice is not as strong or flexible as it once was, so I think it’s unlikely.
You haven’t done any acting since Hotel Mario. What are you doing these days?
I taught acting to children for three years and proceeded to teach various subjects in elementary school for two decades in Seattle and New York City. I left teaching a couple of years ago to become a visual artist.
I paint every day, exhibit my work frequently in galleries and exhibitions, hold painting workshops for adults, and have sold work to collectors throughout the US and around the world. If anyone is interested, they can see my artwork on Instagram.