Everything you need to know about The Little Mermaid's Prince Eric, Jonah Hauer-King (yes, he can sing)
Who is Jonah Hauer-King?
That question is surely on everyone’s minds after the 24-year-old British actor was announced as Prince Eric in Disney’s The Little Mermaid live-action remake. The relative newcomer has nabbed the buzzy role, which Harry Styles was reportedly in talks for. Hauer-King joins Halle Bailey, who was cast as Ariel in July.
EW has done a dive into Hauer-King’s background, so read further to find out if he can sing, his Maya Hawke connection, and more.
He’s not the only artsy one in the family
Hauer-King was born in England to American theater producer Debra Hauer and British restaurateur Jeremy King, and he holds dual UK-American citizenship. Hauer’s producing credits include the 1999 miniseries Eureka Street, The Red Violin, and The Container. She is now an existential psychotherapist based in London. King is one half of the restaurant group Corbin & King, which was estimated to be worth $80 million (£60 million) back in 2017.
Hauer-King has two sisters, one of whom, Hannah, is the artistic director of a theater company uplifting female voices. He attended Cambridge University, where he studied theology and religious studies while continuing to perform.
He’s got singing chops
With his costar Bailey being a professional singer, and composer Alan Menken developing new music for The Little Mermaid film, we’ll likely hear Ariel busting out vocals. There could be a chance that Hauer-King sings as well, and we have proof he’s got the musical chops to pull it off. Check out his rendition of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” while playing the guitar:
He’s friends with Maya Hawke
Hauer-King was Laurie Laurence to Hawke’s Jo March in the BBC’s 2017 miniseries Little Women, and the two still seem to be chums. This September, he attended the premiere of his film The Song of Names with his mom and Hawke, and the Stranger Things star has posted numerous pictures of him to her Instagram, most recently in May 2018.
A post shared by Maya Ray (@maya_hawke) on May 30, 2018 at 9:33am PDT
His previous costars have included Sean Bean, Helen Hunt, and Danny Huston
Although Hauer-King’s first feature role was only a few years ago, he’s acted in films with high-profile names. He appeared in 2017’s The Last Photograph, a British drama directed by and starring Danny Huston as a man searching for a stolen photo of his son (Hauer-King). Getting his start in theater, appearing next to Sir Kenneth Branagh in The Entertainer, he’s also starred in adventure films and period dramas.
A Dog’s Way Home (2019) saw him starring alongside Ashley Judd and Bryce Dallas Howard, while Tim Roth and Clive Owen appeared with him in The Song of Names. Most recently, he was in the BBC war drama series World on Fire with Sean Bean, Lesley Manville, and Helen Hunt. He will also be featured in the upcoming film Once Upon a Time in Staten Island, which stars Naomi Watts and Bobby Cannavale.
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