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Oprah Winfrey has joined the voice cast of the upcoming Disney animated film "The Princess and the Frog." She will voice the mother of the princess.

At a Disney presentation in Hollywood on Wednesday, John Lasseter, the chief creative office at Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios, said that Winfrey will play the character of Eudora, the mother of the main character Princess Tiana, voiced by Anika Noni Rose.

The film, set for release in late 2009, is set in the French Quarter of New Orleans.

Winfrey has lent her vocal talents to several other animated and fantasy films in the past: Most recently, she played Judge Bumbleton in "Bee Movie," and she also provided dialogue for Gussy the Goose in the live-action "Charlotte's Web."

Randy Newman has written six new songs for the film, it was also announced. One of the songs, "Down in New Orleans," was performed at the presentation by Dr. John.

On Friday Oprah Winfrey explained her decision not to have Sarah Palin on her show. Despite a public endorsement of Obama off of the show, she has never discussed it on her show. She reminded viewers that she has always said she would not use her show as a platform, and that the last time she interviewed Obama on air was 2006, before he declared himself as a candidate for president.

On a panel that was discussing current world events, Oprah chatted with best friend Gayle King, Ali Wentworth (tv personality and wife of George Stephanopoulos) and Mark Consuelos (an actor married to Kelly Ripa) and pointedly said they would not be discussing the election.

Oprah also says how, after Michelle Obama's DNC speech, she was encouraged by staff to invite her on the show. She refused. Oprah also agreed that if she had conducted the same interview as Katie Couric, she would have been hammered.