Halle Bailey is ready for her take on Ariel to become a part of your world.
With the release of Disney's The Little Mermaid remake just months away, the actress exclusively told E! News that playing the titular character has been nothing short of "a dream come true." In fact, Halle cannot wait to see how audiences will react to the new live-action version of the beloved movie—even if she was a little nervous at first.
"I don't feel any pressure anymore," she explained during an interview about Chloe and Halle's PINK Holiday Gift Guide. "I think that before I started filming, I did feel some nerves naturally because the film is so important to so many people."
According to Halle, she was able to overcome the first day jitters thanks to her close friends and family, including sister Chloe Bailey. "I just lean on them and I know that I just give it my 100 percent," she continued. "I did my best, that's all I can do. I'm just really grateful to see it all play out."
Having grown up playing mermaids in the pool with Chloe, Halle is also excited to introduce Ariel to a new generation. The 22-year-old said what "touches me the most" about her role has been watching kids' reactions to her performance of "Part of Your World," which was first dropped in September.
"It just makes me cry," Halle shared. "The fact that all these little Black and Brown babies are going to be able to feel like they're being represented is really special to me. I know that if I had that when I was younger, it would have changed a whole lot for me and my perspective on who I am as an individual."
Sharing how she's "super honored" to play a Disney princess, Halle added, "I'm just really grateful to kind of be in this position and I just hope everybody really enjoys the film."
Out in theaters on May 26, 2023, The Little Mermaid also stars Melissa McCarthy as Ursula, Javier Bardem as King Triton, Daveed Diggs as Sebastian, Jacob Tremblay as Flounder, Awkwafina as Scuttle and Jonah Hauer-King as Prince Eric.
Previously, Halle described filming the movie as "the toughest experience," though it "has made me so much stronger than i ever thought i could be."
"I feel so grateful to have experienced this film in all of its glory," Halle wrote in a July 2021 Instagram post. "I cannot wait for time to speed up so you all can watch this film because it was made with so much love (plus blood sweat and tears)."