Halle Bailey Meets Young 'Little Mermaid' Fan Who 'Hugged Me So Tight' at Disney World
Halle Bailey stars as Ariel in Disney's live-action The Little Mermaid, in theaters May 26
Halle Bailey made one young Little Mermaid fan's day during a trip to Disney World.
On Thursday, Bailey, 22, shared several videos on her Instagram Story from a trip to Walt Disney World in Florida, including one clip that showed her sharing a long embrace with a young girl who appeared to recognize her for her upcoming role as Ariel in Disney's live-action reimagining of The Little Mermaid.
"Met this beautiful baby Mila Rose who made me cry 🥺," Bailey wrote in a caption, as she recapped her trip to the theme park. "She just hugged me so tight ❤️."
"You're so pretty," Bailey told the girl in the video as they hugged. "Ariel's her favorite," someone off camera said.
"Really? You're so beautiful and sweet, what's her name? Mila?" Bailey said in the video. "So sweet. Mila, do you want to smile for the camera? Take a picture?"
Related:Disney Star Josh Gad Calls Out 'Pathetic' Racist Response to Halle Bailey Little Mermaid Trailer
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Bailey, who has spoken about how she hopes her casting as Ariel may have an impact on children, shared in a recent interview with Edition Modern Luxury that she spent as many as 13 hours a day filming scenes in the water while on set in London for the upcoming film.
"I pushed myself as far as I've ever pushed myself in life," Bailey said. "And I feel like the message from her was to know that you've always had it in you."
Bailey, who also revealed that she first watched Disney's 1989 original The Little Mermaid around age 5, said she is "really excited for my version of the film" after the studio made changes to ensure the character's motivation to leave the ocean doesn't just involve falling in love.
"We've definitely changed that perspective of just her wanting to leave the ocean for a boy," she said. "It's way bigger than that. It's about herself, her purpose, her freedom, her life and what she wants."
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"As women we are amazing, we are independent, we are modern, we are everything and above," Bailey added to Edition Modern Luxury. "And I'm glad that Disney is updating some of those themes."
In addition to Bailey, The Little Mermaid also stars Melissa McCarthy as Ursula, Jonah Hauer-King as Prince Eric, Javier Bardem as King Triton, Jacob Tremblay as Flounder, Daveed Diggs as Sebastian, and Awkwafina as Scuttle.
The Little Mermaid is in theaters May 26.
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