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Halle Bailey is giving life to Princess Ariel in the upcoming The Little Mermaid movie, set to hit theaters on May 26. The singer and actress spent months overseas filming during the COVID-19 pandemic, a situation that made her more vulnerable.
The same susceptibility is showcased during Bailey’s interpretation of the iconic “Part of Your World” song, a classic Disney film’s signature scene.
While promoting the project, Halle revealed singing the ballad was beautiful but challenging. “We were filming in the height of the pandemic, and I was suddenly living alone away from everything I knew,” Bailey told People.
While living in London and Italy, the artist had the opportunity to connect even more with her character and focus on the much-anticipated scene. “‘Part of Your World’ took three days to film,” the star reveals. “There was a lot of physicality and stunt work involved where I would be spinning, going in the air on the wires, and there was a lot to think about.”
“I was very emotional. I remember I was crying… If you listen to the lyrics, it’s such a desperate plea and cry for help. I was able to convey those emotions of feeling alone and underwater in a way,” she explains to the publication.
“I was grateful that I had that experience of feeling that isolation because I was able to play it through Ariel,” she assures. “I think ultimately it helped my performance.”
A few days from its premiere, Bailey said she would take a break. “I’m going to take a few weeks to just woosah because this has been five years of buildup,” she says. “It’s nice to finally have it be released into the world.”
The film, produced by Rob Marshall, John DeLuca, Mark Platt, and Lin-Manuel Miranda, began production in early 2020. Halle shares the screen with Jacob Tremblay, Awkwafina, and Melissa McCarthy, who plays the film’s villain, Ursula. Javier Bardem secured the role of King Triton.
The role of Ariel is a breakout role for Halle as her only ever-screen number is alongside Yara Shahidi in Freeform’s Grown-ish. Her stardom is mainly recognized as one-half of Chloe x Halle, made up of her and her older sister, Chloe. In 2015 the duo was signed on to Beyoncé’s Parkwood Entertainment label after being discovered through their covers on YouTube.