Halle Bailey who was more than a fish out of water with her high-flying performance in The Little Mermaid explains why the viral reaction videos of children seeing her as Ariel are so important to her. Halle Bailey shares how touching it is to see the way kids reacted to her playing Ariel. She said that it meant the world to her to see these lovely reactions specifically from the children, and that it filled her up with so much joy.
She shared how important Anika Noni Rose as Princess Tiana and Brandy’s Cinderella were to her growing up, and calls joining them as a Disney princess an immense blessing. She said that these reactions are what keep her going. When the first trailer for The Little Mermaid was released, touching videos went viral showing young black girls excitedly seeing Halle Bailey as Ariel for the first time. These videos show the important and very real impact of representation and have silenced the horde of remake critics who questioned the casting of Halle Bailey as Ariel.
The Little Mermaid can inspire a whole new generation with Halle Bailey. The adaptations of these timeless classics are introduced by Disney to a new generation while providing a new experience for those already in love with the original animation. A new version of Arial is introduced in the live-action The Little Mermaid, while still embodying the spirit of heroism, adventure, and love of the original.
Disney fans have been praising the actor immensely on Twitter for her performance in The Little Mermaid with Bailey being regularly described as being perfect for the role. She already has experience in singing, and these skills contributed heavily to her success in the role considering the fact that the 1989’s The Little Mermaid was also a musical.
Halle Bailey was previously a child actor whose musical talents earned her mass acclaim and prominence for which she earned 5 Grammy Award nominations. The remake director for The Little Mermaid recalled Bailey’s audition performing ‘Part of Your World’ and revealed that hearing her sing made him cry, eventually solidifying her casting as Ariel.
The Little Mermaid has always captured people’s hearts and inspired a love for curiosity and music, but the live adaptation of The Little Mermaid had a profound impact even before the film hit theatres. These viral videos show exactly why the importance of representation cannot be overstated. These children saw a reflection of themselves in Ariel and were immediately touched by it. Even though The Little Mermaid is already a time-honoured classic, this version will be a very real, very palpable experience impacting many kids’ lives, transforming into an inspiration for them just as Brandy as Cinderella and Rose as Princess Tiana were for Halle Bailey.
