Halle Bailey Says She Was ‘So Scared’ During Little Mermaid Audition
Halle Bailey’s quest to become Ariel in the upcoming live-action adaption of the Little Mermaid was a little nerve wracking at first for the 21-year-old singer.
On Facebook’s Talks With Mama Tina show, hosted by Tina Knowles-Lawson, Bailey revealed that she was “scared” and “nervous” before auditioning for the lead role when she was just 18.
“Getting that role felt very surreal. It was much of a shocker for me,” she shared. “Even when I was asked to audition, I looked at it and I was like, 'Me? For Ariel?’”
Adding, “The auditioning process, I remember being so scared and so nervous,” she continued. “I think my dad, he one time was like, ‘Let's run through the lines.’ And I started reading them and I just started sobbing. He's like, ‘Halle, what's wrong? What's wrong?’ I'm just, ‘I can't believe I'm even gonna go for this.’”
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To close out 2021, Bailey posted a photo gallery on her Instagram that showed behind-the-scenes photos while on set of the film.
One photo teased the film's script, with her character's name written across the front page and another image showed the star swimming in the ocean of Sardinia, Italy, where The Little Mermaid was filmed over the summer.
Photos of the CGI and special effects were also captured to give a peek on how Bailey transformed into a mermaid.
“A glimpse of my 2021. A year I will never forget…,” she started the caption of her post.
The Rob Marshall-directed movie wrapped filming in July 2021, and also stars Jonah Hauer-King, who will play Prince Eric, Melissa McCarthy as Ursula, Jacob Tremblay as Flounder, and Daveed Diggs as Sebastian.
The Little Mermaid heads to theaters on May 26, 2023.
