Ilene Woods

Ilene Woods was an American singer and actress best remembered as the original voice of the title character in Walt Disney's 1950 animated film Cinderella. Born in Cleveland, Ohio, she began her career as a radio and big-band vocalist in the 1940s before Disney cast her after hearing a demo recording she had made of songs from the film, reportedly without her even auditioning for the role. Her warm, bright soprano became inseparable from the character, and she performed the film's signature songs, including «A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes» and «So This Is Love», both of which became standards of the American songbook.

Beyond Cinderella, Woods worked steadily in radio drama and as a recording artist, contributing to the vocal tradition of mid-century American pop and light orchestral music that blended pop sensibility with theatrical warmth. Her Disney association, however, remained the defining achievement of her career, and she reprised her role or was associated with the character in later promotional and compilation recordings.

Her legacy rests on giving voice and personality to one of animation's most enduring heroines, shaping how generations of listeners first heard the story of Cinderella through song.