Halle Bailey as Ariel in The Little Mermaid. Photo: Disney
Halle Bailey as Ariel in The Little Mermaid. Photo: Disney
Halle Bailey as Ariel in The Little Mermaid. Photo: Disney
Halle Bailey as Ariel in The Little Mermaid. Photo: Disney

Little Mermaid star Halle Bailey on how Ariel moulded her as a woman


Maan Jalal
  • English
  • Arabic

Since the first announcement of Disney’s live action remake of The Little Mermaid, the project has received its fair share of criticism.

From the diverse approach to the story, to lyric changes and mockery of CGI components of the film, fans of the original animated feature have had lots to say about the highly-anticipated film.

Whether the criticism is justified or not, one aspect of the film that’s guaranteed to win over audiences is its star, Halle Bailey.

“The first actor we saw for this role was Halle,” director and producer Rob Marshall said, at the first global press conference of the film on Tuesday in Los Angeles.

Marshall, known for films such as Chicago and Memoirs of a Geisha, shared that for her audition, Bailey sang the classic ballad of the film Part of Your World.

“I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I just thought she's so deeply connected to what she's singing about. It was so emotional, so beautiful. I thought, oh my gosh, we've been doing this for five minutes — have we found Ariel? And we had.”

Scroll through the gallery below for more pictures from The Little Mermaid

Marshall said they auditioned hundreds of other actresses of many different ethnicities, but Bailey had already “claimed the role” in that first audition.

Bailey, 23, came to prominence for being one half of the Grammy-nominated musical duo Chloe x Halle with her sister Chloe Bailey. As an actor, she’s mostly known for her role in the sitcom Grown-ish.

And while she obviously has the singing and acting skills to play Ariel, she admits that it was still incredibly emotional when she learnt that she'd got the part.

“My first reaction was just sobbing, honestly, I was just crying,” Bailey said, adding that she and her family were celebrating her sister’s birthday when she received a call from an unknown number.

“My baby brother comes running to me and was like, 'Answer the phone! Answer the phone!'”, she said. “So I answered it and Rob was like, 'Hello, I'm looking for Ariel' and I was like, 'Oh my gosh' and I just cried for the whole day.”

Bailey was 18 when production began, and credits the role for moulding her into the woman she is today.

“It's been five years of my life now, from 18 to now being 23. Those are very intense, transformative years when you’re developing as a young woman,” she said.

“I feel especially with the themes of the film and what [Ariel] had to go through with her passions and drive and speaking up for herself. Even though it may be scary, she went for it. I feel like those things I really try to adopt and give to Hallie now. So she's taught me so much for sure.”

The Little Mermaid is based on Danish author Hans Christian Andersen’s tale of a determined, inquisitive and spirited mermaid who falls in love with a human prince.

As the youngest and most defiant of King Triton’s daughters, Ariel decides to follow her instincts, and her heart, and ventures to the surface world to be with Prince Eric after striking a dangerous deal with the evil sea witch, Ursula.

Javier Bardem who plays the role of the sea king, said it was easy for him to form a fatherly relationship with Bailey.

“Right from the moment I met her, I just fell for her,” he said. “She has this thing where you can’t help but love her unconditionally.”

Bardem, who won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar in 2008 for his role in No Country for Old Men, also praised Bailey’s work as a performer on set.

“I was mesmerised by the quality of her as a performer,” he said. “Not only the singing, I knew about that, but as an actress, how willing and courageous she is in going to the places that you had to go to. That was amazing.”

It could be argued that the modern reimagining of Ariel and Eric’s love story seems to have more substance than the original animated version, which was released in 1989.

Jonah Hauer-King, who plays Prince Eric, believes their version of the Disney love story has a stronger element of friendship between the characters.

Jonah Hauer-King as Prince Eric and Halle Bailey as Ariel in Disney's live-action The Little Mermaid. Photo: Disney
Jonah Hauer-King as Prince Eric and Halle Bailey as Ariel in Disney's live-action The Little Mermaid. Photo: Disney

Hauer-King said that his and Bailey’s friendship off screen came through the relationship between Ariel and Eric, two characters who are trapped behind castle walls, looking outward for answers.

“What was nice about that is that their relationship feels really earned,” he said. “They both felt like they were teaching each other things. They were excited and fascinated by each other's worlds, but they didn't actually know it until the end.”

He added that his co-star Melissa McCarthy who plays Ursula had a profound perspective on how Ariel and Eric’s love story is portrayed in their version of the film.

“Melissa said this yesterday and I think is a really good message for what it means to be in love and what it means to be in a relationship,” he said.

“It’s ultimately tied to friendship. That's the fundamental thing of it, and that's why it lasts and that's what makes it special. So that was really fun to explore.”

The Little Mermaid will be released in UAE cinemas on May 25

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Five famous companies founded by teens

There are numerous success stories of teen businesses that were created in college dorm rooms and other modest circumstances. Below are some of the most recognisable names in the industry:

  1. Facebook: Mark Zuckerberg and his friends started Facebook when he was a 19-year-old Harvard undergraduate. 
  2. Dell: When Michael Dell was an undergraduate student at Texas University in 1984, he started upgrading computers for profit. He starting working full-time on his business when he was 19. Eventually, his company became the Dell Computer Corporation and then Dell Inc. 
  3. Subway: Fred DeLuca opened the first Subway restaurant when he was 17. In 1965, Mr DeLuca needed extra money for college, so he decided to open his own business. Peter Buck, a family friend, lent him $1,000 and together, they opened Pete’s Super Submarines. A few years later, the company was rebranded and called Subway. 
  4. Mashable: In 2005, Pete Cashmore created Mashable in Scotland when he was a teenager. The site was then a technology blog. Over the next few decades, Mr Cashmore has turned Mashable into a global media company.
  5. Oculus VR: Palmer Luckey founded Oculus VR in June 2012, when he was 19. In August that year, Oculus launched its Kickstarter campaign and raised more than $1 million in three days. Facebook bought Oculus for $2 billion two years later.
Poacher
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What can victims do?

Always use only regulated platforms

Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion

Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)

Report to local authorities

Warn others to prevent further harm

Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence

Updated: May 10, 2023, 11:16 AM`