Halle Bailey has a huge year coming up. While appearing as Ariel in The Little Mermaid is every girl’s dream, it’s not exactly as easy as it looks. The upcoming live-action remake filmed more scenes involving real water than you might expect. As a result Bailey had some extremely intense days filming her role as Ariel.
She recently shared some of her struggles with Edition. Apparently, Bailey “was in the water for 13 hours or on a harness for hours on end.” She added, “I pushed myself as far as I’ve ever pushed myself in life.”
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Bailey also said of the experience shooting The Little Mermaid…
I feel like I learned so much through her. I auditioned when I was 18, got the role when I was 19, and I turn 23 this year. So I genuinely feel like [Ariel’s] helped me grow up. I pushed myself as far as I’ve ever pushed myself in life. And I feel like the message from her was to know that you’ve always had it in you … I’m really excited for my version of the film because we’ve definitely changed that perspective of just her wanting to leave the ocean for a boy. It’s way bigger than that. It’s about herself, her purpose, her freedom, her life and what she wants.
The new Little Mermaid, based on the classic Disney animated movie, also stars Daveed Diggs as Sebastian, Javier Bardem as King Triton, Awkwafina as Scuttle, Jonah Hauer-King as Prince Eric, and Melissa McCarthy as the evil Ursula. The movie includes the famous Little Mermaid songs, as well as several new tracks written for this remake.
The Little Mermaid is scheduled for release in theaters on May 26.
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