Halle Bailey Said 'She Doesn't Feel Pressure Anymore’ About Appearing In ‘The Little Mermaid’

Halle Bailey's biggest acting role to date is playing Ariel in the live-action adaptation of Disney's 'The Little Mermaid'. The 'Do It' singer claims to be as cool as a cucumber in the run-up to the movie's May 2023 premiere, despite the uncertainty and occasionally negative feedback that comes with playing such an iconic character in the Disney series.

“I don’t feel any pressure anymore,” Bailey said when asked about playing the titular character. “I think that before I started filming, I did feel some nerves naturally because the film is so important to so many people.” The 22-year-old added that leaning on her close friends and family, including big sister Chloe, helped her overcome any fears she had.

When 'Part of Your World' was released in September, the actress said that witnessing the response of young girls to her performance was perhaps the most "touching" aspect of getting to play Ariel.

“It just makes me cry,” she shared. “The fact that all these little Black and Brown babies are going to be able to feel like they’re being represented is really special to me. I know that if I had that when I was younger, it would have changed a whole lot for me and my perspective on who I am as an individual.”

The actress continued, "I'm just really grateful to kind of be in this situation and I just hope everyone really appreciates the film," in addition to feeling 'extremely honoured' to play a Disney princess.

Sikha Sohan