To the world premiere of The Little Mermaid on May 8, Bailey’s dress took an even more literal approach to the mermaid gown, wearing a sculptural metallic blue gown by Valdrin Sahiti. And before that, the Ariel actor also evoked classic Disney princess style in an aquatic blue Dolce & Gabanna gown at the 2023 Oscars.
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Hard as it may be to believe, Bailey has said she wasn’t always confident in her ability to truly embody the spirit of the iconic mermaid character. In an interview with Collider, she said she felt extra pressure when filming the “Part of Your World” sequence. “I felt this duty to make it my own, but also live up to the original that Jodi Benson did so beautifully,” she explained. “I was so overjoyed that, at the end of those three days, I feel like I really was able to capture the essence of Ariel.”
At this point, I don’t think anyone could capture the essence of Ariel more perfectly than Halle Bailey.
