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The lead actress said she got emotional while filming Ariel’s signature song, “Part of Your World.”
Halle Bailey broke down while filming a pivotal scene in “The Little Mermaid.” The film’s star was driven to tears while doing her character’s signature song, “Part of Your World,” People reports.
Earlier this month, Disney released a clip of Bailey singing “Part of Your World” from its forthcoming live-action-CGI version of “The Little Mermaid.” Bailey, who plays Ariel, told People she got emotional while filming that scene, which took three days to shoot.
While Bailey says that the stunt work involving spinning on wires took a physical toll on her, singing the song led her to break down. “I was very emotional. I remember I was crying,” Bailey told People. “If you listen to the lyrics, it’s such a desperate plea and cry for help. I was able to convey those emotions of feeling alone and underwater in a way.”
Bailey shot much of “The Little Mermaid” overseas in Italy and England. Being away from her Los Angeles home and alone helped her connect to the isolation Ariel felt in the film. “We were filming in the height of the pandemic, and I was suddenly living alone away from everything I knew,” Bailey said.
In hindsight, Bailey said that the emotions she was feeling ultimately aided in her performance and she was grateful for the experience.
As previously reported in theGrio, “The Little Mermaid” is a highly anticipated film, in part due to some controversy. When Disney announced that Bailey would be playing the lead role in the movie, some critics voiced objections to the film’s casting of a Black actress as Ariel, as the character was originally depicted as white in Disney’s 1989 animated film.
Bailey commented on the backlash during an interview with The Face.
“People don’t understand that when you’re Black, there’s this whole other community,” she said. “It’s so important for us to see ourselves.”
“The Little Mermaid” hits theaters on May 26.
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