DENMARK

- You were born in a family of famous artists from Denmark (Inger Hovman & Jess Ingerslev). Was your childhood filled with music, theatre and artistic spirit?

Yes both my parents were actors, and very musical. We had a grand piano that came from my grandfather who was a classical pianist,and my sisters and my childhood was filled with music. Our father used his musicality a lot in his acting, and also made great TV for children, with a lot of songs and music in it. Our parents also created several cabaret shows together and apart, so we were taken around the country. So yes, there was a lot of acting and music in my childhood.

- Your online biography mentions that you entered the Sankt Annæ Gymnasium music school when you were 9 years-old. Can you tell us about your memories there?

Well I was only there for a year (3. grade), but it required an audition. I loved the singing there, but not the school. After this I started in a great choir instead, where I had many lead-parts and cd-recordings from an early age. Beside this I formed my own childrens-band, playing a repertoire of my own songs.

Picture : School site©

- How did you enter in the artistic world, and especially the dubbing world? Did you parents inspired you to become a professional actress and singer?

Of course I was inspired by the environment, though sometimes it could be difficult to be a child of a famous person - sometimes I felt like hiding. But I was a very creative person from early on. I also wrote many poems. The dubbing world came easily along with my parents who were also involved in acting and dubbing. I did a lot of dubbing for many years, including singing. I liked doing it and thought it was a lot of fun. It involves timing, precision and a musical touch… which I loved.

- You lent your voice to "Tjalfe" in the Danish animated movie "Valhalla" in 1986, when you were only 12 years-old. How was the experience of dubbing this character?

One of my dubbing-tasks was as 10-11 years old, with a part in Peanuts as Peppermint Patty for 11 episodes. I also had to sing, and thought it was really funny, and I got the feeling that I was good at it. Valhalla was a great project and fun, I auditioned and got the part for a man!: - Tjalfe. The movie was very famous here-and-there for its original drawing-techniques. I like the movie and have shown it to my own daughter. Beside many other tasks, I was one of the mice (Tanja) in An American Tail, where I also sang, and I sang in Babar The Elephant, and so on.

- Three years later, in 1989, you were chosen by Disney to dub Ariel in the Danish version of The Little Mermaid. Do you remember how you were you contacted to audition for the character?

I think they knew me, and besides this my father had a part in the film too (Scuttle / Skralde). I did an audition, I remember Ariel but not the scene. I remember the dark room, the headphones and the huge screen. I hoped to get the part, and had to wait until Disney approved me.
I sang the whole ‘Part of your world’. And the Danes were happy and really wanted me to do the singing as well. But in U.S.A. they had decided for a ‘package’ with Sissel Kyrjebø - she should sing for… I think Sweden and Norway too. So the speaking voices would be original actors, and then all with Sissel’s singing. (Sissel also did the speaking in the Norwegian and Swedish dubbings in the end, ed)

- How did the recording sessions go? What was your favourite line or scene to record?

It was intense… I remember being picked up from school by the director. And we had a lot to do that day. There was always crosschecking with the original version. The technicians were (in my eyes) two quite old men… they must have been doing that work for many years. We would have lunch together and then work again. It was only me and them, my script, headphones and the big screen. It required lots of concentration. I think I was 15 at the time.​
I liked the scene where Ariel kisses her father and says ‘I love you daddy!’ :-)

- Did you meet the other voice actors of the movie? Did you know them before?

Yes I knew some of them because of my parents, But we did not meet at all during the making of the film. I met the Prince (Lars Thiesgaard, ed) first time at the premiere, sitting next to him. That was odd :-D

Lars Thiesgaard

- What do you think about Sissel Kyrkjebø's rendition of Ariel's songs? Did you change your own speaking voice to suit her singing voice better?

I think Sissel is a very talented singer, but it sounded weird with her Norwegian accent. I didn’t hear her singing before I recorded the voice of Ariel.

- Do you remember how did the people in Denmark reacted when The Little Mermaid was released, since it's the first Disney animated adaptation of one of Hans Christian Andersen's fairytale?

It was a huge hit. And I have been contacted by many people… especially girls, for years… I think they still watch the original movie.

- How similar is Ariel as a character to your own personality?

Well I got the man of my dreams! - just as Ariel did in the Disney version. In the H.C. Andersen version it does not end that way… I remember my father reading the original story for me, and it was SO sad, I ended up crying. I remember people thinking it was quite a coincidence that I had long red hair just like Ariel. So yes felt a bit like her.

- Is there a reason you didn't come back to dub Ariel in the TV-Series, nor in the second and third movie?

I don’t know why they went in another direction, I wasn’t asked. I think that the work of dubbing is very ‘hot’ among actors here.

- Do you have any other dubbing experiences?

We had a small dubbing-studio at the road where I lived as a child. So sometimes me and my dad, and sometimes also my little sister, would just walk down the road to do dubbing. I remember a film about Bears, and also Hansel and Gretel.

- Can you tell us more about your work as a movie actress? Do you also act on stage?

Well it was not so easy for me - I had a lot of stress filming… probably because everybody thought it would be ‘so natural’ for me because of my parents. But I felt quite a lot of pressure. At 17 I was Carl Nielsen’s big sister that died of tuberculosis in ‘Min fynske barndom’. The movie was cut down because it was too long, so some of the scenes were left out. I think that part of me wanted to act in movies, But it did cost me a lot.
Not really - my life on stage has been as a singer/songwriter. But me and my husband (who is a drummer) made music for, and participated in a play that was performed in both Denmark and Sweden in 2012.

- In 2006, you released your debut album, "Mary - in the Head of a Dreamer". What has been your inspirations for those songs?

Uh, my life I guess… thoughts of meaning, purpose, thoughts of life and death, and the connection between them. In my first album there is a song is called ‘Reality is only imagination’, and another called ‘All the way around’: ‘It all ends and it all begins at the same place, somehow everything is looking round’ it says.
My second album is called ‘The other side’: ‘The other side goes side by side with here and now’ it says. It also includes a cradlesong for my daughter.

- And now, how is your life as an artist?

I had a bad concussion in 2012, and have been quite affected by it ever since. Also my creativity has been focused on my daughter, who is now 10 years old. But I so want to write more songs, and have written a handful of poems over the last couple of years, which I will maybe release one day. The writing has been a huge part of my life too. I work at the Danish Music Museum by the way, tuning harps, guitars etc. Beside this, I do a lot of singing for my husband who often needs my voice for recordings.
(Marie Ingerslev's site)

- Do you have any professional dream you'd want to fulfil?

I think I would like to proceed where I left off. Which is probably a different place now. I have moved into the countryside two years ago with my family and I love to take photos. So to have a great camera some day… I’m not yet sure what will come - music - writing – photography - maybe painting. I’m also drawing once in a while.

- And to end this interview, a little "bonus question" : do you think someday you could record a cover of "Leve som Dem" ("Part of your World") ? :)

That would be fun :)) Why not ♥

Interview by Jean-Cyprien Chenberg
July 25, 2018