Lemondrop

Generally, I think age ain't nothin' but a number. But now that I'm hitting milestones, the reality has begun to hit me that I'm getting older: I passed 30, and now She-Ra, Princess of Power, turned 25.

That's right, She-Ra, the iconic cartoon superheroine, just celebrated her quarterlife crisis with the release of the full first season of 20 episodes on DVD.

Just before the DVD hit shelves, we squeezed in a chat with Melendy Britt, the actress who voiced She-Ra (and her alter ego, Adora) throughout all 93 episodes and multiple TV specials of the Masters of the Universe series. We got her thoughts on then, now and Wonder Woman's recent makeover.

Lemondrop: When you went in to record "She-Ra," in the midst of all the big action cartoons at that time, like "He-Man," "G.I. Joe" and "Transformers," did you recognize the importance of what you were doing? Did you feel iconic just walking into the studio, or was it just a job?
Britt: The "She-Ra" job was very different than any other cartoon I'd ever done. I was called in to do an audition at my agency, but I was also called for a personal interview, which I'd never done for any other cartoon series. I spoke with Lou Scheimer, the producer, and he actually had a personal vision for She-Ra, asked me my opinion of what she'd be like. It was a creative process, much like doing a film. Then they sent me to Mattel to see the action figure. I thought it looked like me. I thought, Oh my gosh, this is the biggest thing I've ever done. "She-Ra" was really different.

It actually only lasted only two years, correct?
Yes, but for an animation series, that was a pretty long time. There were more than 90 episodes, a film and a Christmas special. There was even a premiere for the film in L.A. I remember I wore Issey Miyake.

What made "She-Ra" special?
Filmation was a small, family studio. Everyone from animators and writers all worked together. They had a love for what they were doing and wanted the best product they could get. The integrity of the two producers was amazing. They genuinely cared about kids, too.

You have done some interesting work in your own right, apart from "She-Ra." You were the first actress in a commercial to utter the words "Because I'm Worth It."
Yes, way back then, I used to go to New York a few times per year to work, and I was hired to do this commercial for L'Oreal. I didn't sleep the whole night before, because I had done a lot of beauty voice-overs, but now I had to be beautiful on-camera. I was petrified. While they did the lighting and the makeup, I had to repeat the phrase over and over, and it felt so foreign. I grew up in Texas, where I had drilled into my head that we always had to be humble and not sound conceited. It was difficult for me to own that, then. I could do it today, because women have come into our own and say things like "I'm worth it" without sounding arrogant. Now we know we are.

That idea of being worth it has a nice parallel to this 25-year anniversary, don't you think? "She-Ra" showed little girls that they were worth it, too.
That's the thing I loved so much, that I got to the opportunity to voice such a positive role model. She was strong but kind, brave but not aggressive, and conscious of the rights of everyone. She knew her power was not her power, but a power from a higher source. She owned it all with tremendous responsibility, and she had humor and wit and used all the attributes she'd been given for the highest outcome for the citizens of Eternia.

Did you have any issue with the fact that she used a sword to protect herself instead of, say, intellect?
This is the thing -- and maybe it's just the way I approached it as an actress -- but the sword to me was a transforming power, not a weapon. Whatever in your life can help you gain strength, that's where I think the value lies. She used it to deflect, and used powers of nature, whereas He-Man used his sword as strength. She-Ra's was a sword of protection. I saw her whole story as having a message of inner strength and kindness, freedom and respect for yourself.

Plus, her sword had a pretty, shiny jewel.
Well, it was kind of like her Skype account. She would use it to call her helpers to come assist.

When I was a kid, I had no idea that She-Ra was actually He-Man's twin sister. I always thought they were a couple. But there's one thing I wonder if you can clear up: What was Kowl, that flying animal sidekick?
I have no idea. He just looked like some sort of a fairy creature flying around. I bet you that if you ask a child, they could tell you, since their imaginations are much more vivid.

One last question: This year Wonder Woman, another female cartoon icon, had a costume change, and she got a bit more modern. What did you think?
I looked at the costume, and if Wonder Woman is supposed to be a superhero, I didn't really love it. It's just my opinion, but to me, there is no superhero power in her outfit. She looked like a tattoo artist in L.A. or someone you'd see walking along Melrose.


Stephanie Jo Klein is a New York–based freelance writer whose byline has appeared in the New York Post, Glamour, TV Guide, Fortune Small Business and on Shape.com. She grew up watching G.I. Joe and She-Ra, but has not yet perfected the arts of deflecting or sword fighting.