Halle Bailey Says Incorporating Her Locs Into Ariel’s Look For The Little Mermaid Was ‘Really Special’

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Halle Bailey’s role as Ariel in the upcoming live-action musical remake of The Little Mermaid is as impactful for the singer as it is for the many young girls who will feel represented by her onscreen.

Bailey recently shared insight on how Rob Marshall, the film’s director, encouraged incorporating aspects of the singer’s authentic self into the role.

As the Ungodly Hour musician expressed, one of Marshall’s suggestions included adding red locs into Ariel’s hair.

As MADAMENOIRE previously reported, both Halle and her sister Chlöe Bailey have openly discussed how their locs weren’t always accepted in the entertainment industry amid their rise to stardom.

“With Rob, he’s so amazing and just saying, ‘I see you and I want to bring you into the character,'” Halle, 22, told Entertainment Tonight in a recent interview. “So it was a beautiful thing. My hair, for example — incorporating my locs into the red hair was something that was really special to me. The outfit, the fins, everything. It’s just amazing. I’m just grateful that I’ve been able to take the essence of me and mix the two.”

“We all yearn for something greater,” the star added, explaining her thoughts on why viewers identify with Ariel. “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. 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.”

In addition to highlighting that the remake brings a “new story” to the classic film, Halle emphasized that The Little Mermaid isn’t just about “falling in love and wanting a boy and wanting the above world.”

“It’s more about what [Ariel] sees for herself and her future and her passion,” the singer noted.

“I really felt like I got strong, mentally and physically,” Halle told the outlet about the role. “And I think it was a really good thing for me to do, just in terms of developing into a woman and myself, and knowing myself more. I’m more sure of myself after the filming experience, for sure.”

The Little Mermaid, set to hit theaters May 26, 2023.

View the film’s trailer below.