Tony award-winning singer and actress Idina Menzel, the voice of Elsa in the blockbuster animated film Frozen, became the latest celebrity to publicly identify as a feminist on Wednesday.
Asked by MSNBC’s Krystal Ball if she considers herself a feminist, Menzel laughed and replied, "Yeah, I guess I do.” Menzel connected her feminism to her work on stage and screen. "I love that I play all of these strong women,” said Menzel. “But they're not just strong— they’re women who have a really deep vulnerability and need to go through a journey in order to harness their power."
Menzel has played starring roles in Broadway’s Rent, Wicked and most recently If/Then. In Disney’s Frozen she sang the Academy Award-winning hit “Let it Go,” an anthem of empowerment for young girls and boys around the globe. “Every morning I wake up and somebody has sent me a video of their child singing the song in the backyard,” Menzel told Krystal Clear. “And I look at it as a reminder to my 43 year-old little girl self to let it go as well.”
Menzel is out with a new album Holiday Wishes with Michael Bublé which features old favorites like “Baby It’s Cold Outside” and new songs for the season. One of Mendel’s favorite original works from the album is “December Prayer” which she says speaks to “that wish for this time of year for people to find some kind of peace and serenity, whether it be in the world or just in their heart.”
In addition to wowing audiences with her standout vocals, Menzel is spending the holiday season helping support the troops as part of the USO’s “Every Moment Counts” campaign. People looking to brighten up service members’ days during the holidays can go to usowishbook.uso.org to help troops make a phone call home or record a video of them reading a book to their child.
“If it’s something that we can help them make a little better and bring a little joy to that time in the evening, then let’s have at it,” said Menzel.