Some may confuse her with an Oscar winner for now, but Halle Bailey is set to make her mark in Hollywood in a big way. The singer/actress has landed the iconic role of Ariel in the live-action remake of Disney’s The Little Mermaid. And while previous live-action remakes may have failed to live up to expectations, many believe that Disney is bound to get it right this time around, especially with Bailey’s vocal talents and both Alan Menken and Lin Manuel-Miranda working on the music.Now, The Little Mermaid may still be months away from release, but it seems that Bailey is poised to become Disney’s latest breakout star. And that essentially means more movie offers for the actress.
Halle Bailey Was Invited To Audition For The Little Mermaid Following A Grammy Performance
To be clear, Bailey is no stranger to the spotlight. Long before she started her acting career, Bailey has been a successful music artist as one-half of the R&B duo Chloe x Halle.
Together, they’ve received four nominations to date, and fittingly, it was at the Grammys where Bailey first caught The Little Mermaid director Rob Marshall’s attention.
Back in 2019, Chloe x Halle memorably performed Where Is the Love during the Grammys telecast and Marshall was just blown away.
“When she finished, I was in tears because she’s so soulful,” he recalled. “You could tell right away that she was able to harness Ariel’s passion, her fire, her soul, her joy, and her heart.”
Soon after, Marshall asked Bailey to audition by singing the classic Part of Your World.
“When she finished, I was in tears because she’s so soulful,” the director said. “You could tell right away that she was able to harness Ariel’s passion, her fire, her soul, her joy and her heart.”
As for Bailey, the more she delved deeper into Ariel, the more she found the iconic character more relatable.
“We all relate to feeling like we want something better for ourselves, and I think the strength in her is that she goes for it,” the actress explained.
“She goes after what she wants and what she sees for herself, and she knows she should be somewhere else. I just admire that strength of hers, and was really trying to play that in this version.”
Since Landing The Little Mermaid, Halle Bailey Has Already Lined Up Other Projects
And while everyone is still waiting to see The Little Mermaid, Bailey has been busy working on other upcoming films already. For starters, the actress also stars in Oprah Winfrey and Steven Spielberg’s musical adaptation of The Color Purple where she plays Celie’s (Fantasia Barrino) younger sister, Nettie.
“She’s so much like me, because she has that fire inside of her,” Bailey said of the character. “When it comes to defending her sister—as the little sister, I kind of connected my own experiences for the role.”
And when she wrapped up the film, Bailey was surprised when Winfrey came out and gave her a floral tribute. “It was an emotional scene, so completing it was like, ‘Wow, I did it!’ And out of nowhere, she came at me with flowers, and I was just like, ‘Oh, my gosh. It’s Oprah,’” the actress recalled.
She also feels very honored to have been able to work with Winfrey. “I just am so honored to be a part of this family that she has made,” Bailey said. “You think of all the possibilities of what you could do after this, where and how far you would like to go.”
Aside from this, Bailey also stars in the upcoming drama The Line. The cast also includes Cobra Kai star Bo Mitchell and Jumanji franchise star Alex Wolff.
Despite Her Starring Role, Halle Bailey Maintains That Music Is Her ‘First Love’
Following her casting on The Little Mermaid, it certainly looks like Bailey’s on a roll. That said, she’s also looking to return to her music soon, having missed singing as a duo with her sister Chloe.
“My sister is my backbone,” Bailey said. “She’s my best friend. She’s my everything. When I write with her, it’s different than when I’m just alone. When we sing together, I feel differently than when I’m just singing by myself.”
At the same time, Bailey maintains, “My first love is music. That’s where I feel my most free – but it’s really been a beautiful experience with acting as well.” The singer/actress has also confirmed that the duo will be working on a follow-up to their Grammy-nominated albums soon.
Meanwhile, Bailey has also made it clear that she intends to slow down and raise a family when the time comes.
“I want to have like 10 babies and go live on a farm and have a great house,” she revealed. “I wanna grow my own food and have an oasis away from the world, where my family and I go and have a great time.”
For now, though, Bailey’s going to keep on working. “My mindset is to work, work, work so that I can see the payoff and move towards my goals,” she said. “That’s what I’m used to.”