The Lovely Way Halle Bailey Celebrated The One-Year Anniversary Of The Little Mermaid: ‘Changed My Life’

Grown-ish actress Halle Bailey earned the life-changing role of Ariel in Disney’s live-action remake of The Little Mermaid. With her acting and singing talents recognized by a large audience, playing the free-spirited mermaid garnered her nominations for a Saturn Award and a People’s Choice Award. As it’s been one year since the beloved Disney classic remake swam into theaters, Bailey had a lovely way of celebrating the momentous occasion.

The Little Mermaid found its lead in Halle Bailey who was known for being one half of the musical duo Chloe x Halle and starring in the Freeform sitcom Grown-ish. Disney clearly saw the music and acting chops of this fresh-faced star. The Disney remake was "Part of Your World" at the Dolby Theatre on May 8th of last year, and Bailey made sure to let Instagram users know it in her carousel of Little Mermaid images below:

I’m in agreement with a lot of internet users who can’t believe it’s been a year since The Little Mermaid made its way into theaters. It seems like only yesterday the under-the-sea film scored its way to the top of the weekend box office. The American singer/actress posted some of the most colorful promotional pics from the Disney film. You can really see Halle Bailey’s amazing six-figure red hair shine through strongly in each photo. We also see her revisiting the beach area where Ariel rescued Prince Eric as she holds a picture of where the iconic moment happened.

The final photo had the “Angel” singer have her best-selling Ariel dolls strike a pose in various forms of mermaid attire and in her human form. I’m sure once her son Halo is old enough, she can tell him all about the fond memories she has of playing the first live-action version of Disney's favorite mermaid.

When the Rob Marshall-helmed film first screened, some called it one of the best live-action Disney remakes, with Halle Bailey’s performance being a real standout. Critics were also praising Bailey in her star-making performance, even if reviews were mixed on the changed lyrics of two beloved songs. Just like Marshall said, one thing that the live-action version delivered better than the animated feature was the emotional scale of how mermaids suffer plenty even if they can’t show tears, and the scope of Ariel and Eric’s star-crossed romance.

Another benefit that came from the big family-friendly summer flick was having a Disney character young Black girls could see themselves in. We saw the delight in their eyes after videos showed young Black girls in awe of Halle Bailey’s Ariel feeling they saw themselves represented in the underwater character. With the Screen Actors Guild nominee making history as the first Black actress to play Ariel, that comes with being an inspiration to more kids than ever before.

On the one-year anniversary of 2023’s The Little Mermaid, Halle Bailey shared her joy of the life-changing role by posting memorable photos of the musical fantasy film. You can share in the underwater fun by watching the high-grossing remake with your Disney+ subscription.