Idina Menzel and Kristen Bell field kids' Frozen 2 fan questions

Six years ago, a pop culture phenomenon swept across the world. Disney's Frozen is one of the top-grossing animated films of all time and now it's back with a second instalment, Frozen 2, which hits theatres later this month.

In the new movie, Broadway star Idina Menzel returns as Elsa while actor Kristen Bell reprises her role as Elsa's sister, Anna. They both joined q's Tom Power live in studio to field a few questions from Frozen's biggest fans: kids.

Here's what Menzel and Bell had to say to their fans.

Hi, my name is Julia. I do theatre and I was wondering how long it takes for you to practice songs and get it right. — Julia, age eight

Menzel: Well, this is Idina talking, who plays Elsa. I practice a lot. I've actually had the same voice teacher for almost 30 years. So I practice, I vocalise, I work on all my songs so that I understand them like little maps — kind of where I want to go with them, how I need to to breathe and technically approach them. I really think about what I'm singing about and what they would sound like if they were a conversation to somebody else. What do you do, Kristen?

Bell: Not nearly as much as that. Julia, I studied music in college and so it's been a minute. I have relied on looking toward people like Idina and my voice teacher in Los Angeles to give me that kind of advice — to say, "Remember, stick with it. You're not humming to the radio. This is a job that you have, and this is a performance that you need to practice for." So it's really the practising and Idina just gave some great tips.

Hi Anna! I'm Flora! What's your favourite song? — Flora, age three

Bell: Flora, I am so excited to hear your voice. You sound like such a nice girl. Well look, I'd be remiss if I didn't tell you that Let It Go was one of my all-time favourite songs. It is such an anthemic piece of work. I sing to it and I get excited, Flora, when girls like you sing to it because it reminds me that everybody is being told to think about who they are and that everything's okay. But lately, Flora, I'm going to hit you with a hot tip: I've been really into the Barbra Streisand duet called Guilty. It's pretty exceptional. Have your parents pop it on and I guarantee that your feet will tap.

Hi Idina! I'm Vera. What do you have in common with Elsa? — Vera, age seven

Menzel: I think what I have in common with Elsa is that I can be both shy sometimes and then other times, like when I'm singing, I'm really bold, strong and courageous. I find in my life that I'm often trying to find that balance and the older I get, I've realised that that's a really nice balance to have. But when you're younger, it's something that can be scary. When we have something that we're really good at, it's scary to let the world see that, because how will they perceive us? And so what I love about Elsa, especially in Frozen 2, is that she's not apologising as much for her special gifts. She's ready to share them with the world.

Hi, I'm Charlotte and I'm Olivia. What can sisters like us learn from Frozen? — Charlotte, age 12, and Olivia, age nine

Bell: Oh, wow. I think, very simply, that good results come when you believe in the people that you love and you give them the benefit of the doubt. It's hard to believe in everyone around you and to fight for them. I have two sisters and I fight against any judgment I have toward them. Their decisions are their decisions, and their path is their path. My job is to believe in them and remind them of that all the time because you cannot underestimate what that does for someone when they feel like their sibling believes in them.

Menzel: That was beautifully said. I have a younger sister, and actually, Kristen reminds me of her in a lot of ways. My younger sister is more of an old soul and has more wisdom about certain things than me, and I often feel that Kristen has more wisdom than I do in certain parts of life. It's when you can look up to each other, no matter what age you are, and find that thing in each other that inspires you. I think what Anna and Elsa do so beautifully is that they push each other, they push each other to be the best human beings that they can be. 

Hi Kristen, my name is Agnes. What is the best snowman you've ever built? — Agnes, age five

Bell: You know, Agnes, I grew up in Michigan, right on the border of Detroit and Windsor, so it was very cold there. I will say, I don't know the specific snowman, but what I do remember is that I would go inside and take some of my mother's clothing outside and make sure that my snowman had really cool '80s dangly earrings and perhaps a pair of her heels that eventually got ruined in the snow. So my snowmen were dressed like '80s businesswomen. I say get creative with those snowmen or snowwomen!

Hi! My name is Esme. In Frozen 2, will Anna have leaf powers? — Esme, age six

Bell: Here's what I'll tell you about Anna's powers: everyone says, is Anna going to get powers in Frozen 2? And my answer is that Anna has always had powers. Anna's power is her unending belief in other people because love is actually the biggest superpower you can have.

This transcript has been edited for length and clarity. To hear the full interview with Idina Menzel and Kristen Bell, download our podcast or click 'Listen' near the top of this page.

— Produced by Vanessa Greco