Shortly after her new era in Disney as the first Black Ariel in Rob Marshall’s live-action adaptation of The Little Mermaid, Halle Bailey was crowned real-life Disney princess. Although her role sparked controversies and got her criticism from toxic fans, Bailey nailed her role in the 2023 movie.
However, according to Halle Bailey, she almost ruined her body and her vocal cords in an attempt to be the perfect mermaid. During her interview with Variety, the actress recalled what she went through and put her body through, in order to deliver a flawless performance.
Halle Bailey Almost Damaged Her Vocal Chords
Following her successful musical career alongside her sister Chloe Bailey, Halle Bailey ventured into cinema and landed the role of Ariel in Disney’s musical fantasy film The Little Mermaid. Appearing in Rob Marshall’s 2023 live-action adaptation, Bailey nailed her performance as the underwater princess.
However, despite the film’s popularity and box office numbers, The Little Mermaid took a toll on Halle Bailey. Apparently, in an attempt to deliver an impeccable performance, the actress pushed her limits and almost damaged her vocal cords. During an interview with Variety, Bailey opened up about her experience.
“There were a lot of things that combined to my body feeling tired a lot of the time, based on the stunt work. Being in the water, I felt the lightest because you’re buoyant. That felt a little easier. As singers, we’re trained to take care of our vocal cords, so sometimes the chlorine — and then you’re sinusy the next day, and then you have to sing.”
Discussing how the chlorine in the water affected her vocal cords and her sinuses, Halle Bailey spoke about the issues she faced. And despite all odds, the actress did her best and blew people’s minds off from underwater.
Halle Bailey Was Criticized for The Little Mermaid
Despite her dedication to her craft, Halle Bailey was served with hatred and criticism for her role as the first Black Ariel in The Little Mermaid. Wishing to bring a change in the world with her work, Bailey tried her best to inspire people to think beyond race. However, the movie turned into a controversial step for Disney and got obliterated by racist trolls.
As per fans’ concerns, instead of changing Ariel’s ethnicity, Halle Bailey could have played other characters that are racially accurate. Chinese state media and netizens have condemned Bailey as Ariel, which echoed unanimously with people from the US who expressed anger that the Atlanta-born actress does not resemble the light-skinned character.
Amid Hollywood getting slammed for whitewashing roles, Disney got criticized for trying to make a “woke” step. The Studio’s attempt to destroy racial discrimination in the world of animation and fantasy was faced with raging reviews. According to fans, Disney has several other princesses of color that they could offer to Halle Bailey. Therefore, The Little Mermaid got constantly slammed and criticized by toxic fans.
The Little Mermaid is streaming on Disney+.
Read more: “Go woke…Go rich”: The Little Mermaid Sends Racist Trolls into Meltdown, Earns $350M in Just 13 Days
