Halle Bailey Channels Her 'Little Mermaid' Character in Dreamy New Bikini Snaps
Halle Bailey/instagram
Halle Bailey is channeling the Little Mermaid as she enjoys a relaxing vacation.
The star of the upcoming live-action remake of the beloved Disney film shared a series of bikini shots to her Instagram on Monday. Bailey, 22, sported a baby pink, gold-link-chain bikini as she posed in a hanging swing chair somewhere tropical, with her hair cascading down across her body in long braids. The new Ariel shared that she's "somewhere swinging" as she enjoyed some well-deserved time off.
Bailey spent New Year's Eve with Ryan Seacrest, joining a slate of performers for Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve at California's Disneyland Resort including Ciara, Ben Platt and Tomorrow x Together (TXT).
Halle Bailey/instagram
She seemingly jetted off following the performance to soak up the sun and kick off the new year. It's a good thing, since the Chloe x Halle singer will need all the rest she can get ahead of the premiere of The Little Mermaid in May.
Bailey's excitement for the role has been palpable since she was announced to be the next mermaid princess, which she called a "dream come true" at the time.
At the news of her casting, Rob Marshall, the film's director, shared that it was a clear choice to go with Bailey for the role. "After an extensive search, it was abundantly clear that Halle possesses that rare combination of spirit, heart, youth, innocence, and substance — plus a glorious singing voice — all intrinsic qualities necessary to play this iconic role," he said in a statement.
The news prompted backlash across social media, as some expressed their opposition to the role being portrayed by a non-white actress. Disney's cable network Freeform responded with "An open letter to the Poor, Unfortunate Souls" who found an issue with Bailey's casting.
However, the news also came with an outpouring of love and support from many who for the first time would be able to see themselves in the princess on the screen. Bailey herself said that if she had been able to see Ariel played by a woman of color when she was younger, it would have made an impact. "What that would have done for me, how that would have changed my confidence, my belief in myself, everything. Things that seem so small to everyone else, it's so big to us."
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In the fall, the first teaser for the movie was released, along with the poster a few weeks later. Bailey tweeted at the time, "Words can't describe how immensely honored I feel to play the mermaid of my dreams, Ariel in Disney's The Little Mermaid."
Disney Halle Bailey as Ariel in The Little Mermaid (2023)
She told PEOPLE that the movie changed her "perspective on everything."
"The fact that now it's getting to be played by me, a person who looks like me, woman of color, I'm just like, wow, I'm so grateful what it will do for all the other little Black and brown boys and girls who will see themselves in me," Bailey said. "Because I know if I had seen myself when I was younger, I think my whole perspective would've changed."
The movie also stars Javier Bardem, Awkwafina, Jacob Tremblay, Jonah Hauer-King and Melissa McCarthy. The Little Mermaid hits theaters May 26.
