Halle Berry Reacts To Being Mistaken For The Little Mermaid’s Halle Bailey

Halle Berry kindly responds to being mistaken for Ariel’s casting of The Little Mermaid with actress and R&B singer Halle Bailey. The live-action remake of the 1989 Disney musical fantasy film is slated to premiere in 2023, starring the Grown-ish star Bailey as Ariel and Jonah Hauer-King as Prince Eric. Alongside Bailey and Hauer-King, the cast for the live-action adaptation will also include familiar faces such as Awkwafina as Scuttle and Melissa McCarthy as Ursula.

Since Bailey’s casting announcement, the highly-anticipated Disney film generated an onslaught of malicious online backlash, with some arguing over the casting decision of contracting a Black actress to play the redheaded animated character. This led to a heated discussion on social media, with many coming to the defense of Bailey, arguing that the ethnicity of Ariel is not central to the story, but rather the musical talent and deep-seated values of the individual playing the beloved role. With Hollywood moving towards being more inclusive, Bailey has garnered the support of many within the entertainment industry, including Jodi Benson, who played the original voice of Ariel in the 1989 The Little Mermaid animated film.

In an endearing tweet, Berry courteously reacts to being mistaken for Bailey, after a fan confuses Berry for having a role in The Little Mermaid. Below a video Berry posted on Twitter, a fan says, “Can’t wait to see you under da sea,” followed by a mermaid emoji. In response, Berry clears the fan’s confusion by dismissing the claim, but also shares her excitement to see Bailey on screen, portraying the titular role. Check out the amusing interaction below:

Click Here to View the Original Post

Despite the accidental mix-up, this wasn’t the first time that Berry has praised and was supportive of Bailey. When Bailey’s casting was initially revealed back in 2019, Berry reverently congratulated Bailey for landing the part of Ariel, along with sharing her eagerness to see Bailey perform the iconic lead role. Amidst the vicious backlash Bailey encountered online, Berry had promoted and defended the casting through her supportive tweets. With Berry’s continued support for Bailey, many have been fan-casting Berry for the role of Ariel’s mother, who has already been confirmed to be portrayed by Noma Dumezweni.

Considering that there are many similar names and faces in Hollywood, it comes as no surprise for the mix-up to happen. Subsequently, this may not be the last time Berry may have to grapple with the casting confusion for the live adaptation of the Disney animated film. Recently, Ryan Reynolds disclosed his experience with repeatedly being mistaken for Ryan Gosling and Ben Affleck in public due to the resemblance in names and in appearance. Nevertheless, Berry has made it clear that she will continue to embrace Bailey’s casting for The Little Mermaid, which is currently scheduled to premiere on May 26, 2023.

Source: Halle Berry