Following the release of the trailer for Disney’s 2023 live action version of The Little Mermaid, star Halle Bailey opened up at the recent D23 Expo about exactly how she felt playing treasured children’s character Ariel and becoming a mermaid.
“I’m so excited about this film,” Bailey told E! News. “You know being here today is so surreal.”
As the interview went on, Bailey described why she felt a bit nervous about tackling the role. “I definitely think that because I love this movie so much, and I’ve treasured it since I was a little girl, I did put a bit of pressure on myself,” she continued. “Just because I want to deliver all of the feels that I saw when I was a little girl… Knowing that gave it my all and gave 110 percent into everything of this film, I am really proud of myself.”
The trailer, which premiered at the Expo earlier this month, inspired lots of viral reactions as parents filmed their young children watching it for the first time. Bailey herself saw a few of these videos, as she replied to them on social media.
“people have been sending these reactions to me all weekend and i’m in truly in awe,” she posted on Twitter. “this means the world to me.”
people have been sending these reactions to me all weekend and i’m in truly in awe
this means the world to me
https://t.co/cuKjKN8nxH
— Halle (@HalleBailey) September 12, 2022
Watch Bailey in the trailer for The Little Mermaid above.