Kayla James for The New York Times
As one half of the R&B sibling duo Chloe x Halle, Halle Bailey has serenaded YouTube audiences with renditions of Beyoncé classics and captivated Super Bowl crowds with patriotic anthems. But the 23-year-old Atlanta native grew up idolizing the Disney princess Ariel, never imagining she’d play her.
Disney
Bailey was the first actress that auditioned for the part. As she shut her eyes and sang “Part of Your World,” Director Rob Marshall was brought to tears. “She claimed the role. She said, ‘I’m Ariel,’ and that’s what was so beautiful,” he said.
Mario Anzuoni/Reuters
Before young girls registered joyful reactions to the trailer, there was a vicious racist backlash to the announcement that a Black star had been cast as Disney royalty. For Bailey, the experience served as a reminder of the lack of Black princesses in her childhood, and her hope for more Black Disney leads for the next generation.
Giles Keyte/Disney
The film remains faithful to Bailey’s identity. Her Ariel has natural locs, which were wrapped with strands of red hair. “As Black women our crowns are so special to us,” Bailey said. “Our hair is important to us in every single way, so I was really grateful that I was allowed to keep that essence of me.”
Giles Keyte/Disney
In an interview with The New York Times, she reveled in the memories of reading “The Little Mermaid: Make a Splash” at the White House, greeting squealing young girls with hugs at the musical’s many premieres and admiring the mermaid dolls that match her complexion.
Kayla James for The New York Times
“It’s almost healing for the inner child within me to have this doll that looks like me,” Bailey said. “It does a lot for your self-worth and confidence.”