Original 'The Little Mermaid' Jodi Benson Gives Halle Bailey Her Stamp of Approval

"The Little Mermaid'' set sail yesterday at the Los Angeles Premiere of Disney's latest live-action adaptation with Halle Bailey as the titular character. Jodi Benson, the original voice actor of Ariel in the 1989 animated motion picture, was present at the premiere.

After it was announced that Bailey will be playing Ariel, controversy and backlash about casting a Black girl for the role has come about, launching all kinds of discourses on social media.

Halle Bailey as 'The Little Mermaid'

In 2019, it was announced that Halle Bailey, one half of the sister duo Chloe x Halle, will be playing Ariel in "The Little Mermaid."

"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," says director Rob Marshall.

However, casting an African-American woman for the role did not come easy. Many people online expressed their frustration with the casting choice, noting that Ariel was White in the 1989 adaptation, as well as in the Hans Christian Andersen material.

A campaign called #NotMyAriel was launched on social media as trolls attacked Bailey for the casting. Many people have expressed their support for Bailey, including producer and lyricist Lin Manuel Miranda, who called the reception "racist."

Rachel Zegler, who will be playing Cinderella in the upcoming live adaptation, backed Bailey. Anika Noni-Rose, who voiced Tiana, the first official Black Disney Princess, also threw support and Auli'l Cravalho, who played Ariel in the live stage version also did the same thing.

But perhaps the greatest stamp of approval Bailey could ever get was from Jodi Benson herself, the woman who voiced Ariel in the 1989 film.

Jodi Benson on Halle Bailey Being 'The Little Mermaid'

When the first teaser of Halle Bailey as "The Little Mermaid" debuted at the D23 Expo, Jodi Benson couldn't be more excited.

"Halle, you were absolutely amazing I'm SO proud of you... it was so wonderful to celebrate with your family here at #d23expo," she said in an Instagram post. (via Los Angeles Times)

Bailey reposted the video, thanking Benson for her kind words, saying the actress as she was the first one who made Ariel "magical" for them.

Most recently, at the US premiere of "The Little Mermaid," Benson and Bailey met on the blue carpet and shared a hug as people captured their first very public meeting.

When asked by Entertainment Tonight, Benson described Bailey's performance as "brilliant"

"She doesn't need any advice from me; she's brilliant. I did the chance to meet her a few times and chat with her to tell her how proud I was of her. But I love that she has a purity of heart and a pure spirit. You can see that vulnerability, bravery, and that courage coming through, and it's beautiful. I'm so thrilled for her, and I'm so proud of her," she told the outlet.

Watch the interview below:

Tags

The Little Mermaid, Halle Bailey