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- Halle stars as Ariel in the live-action remake of The Little Mermaid.
- Halle is part of the duo Chloe x Halle.
- Halle is dating rapper DDG.
At just 23 years old, Halle Bailey has loads of bragging rights and an incredibly impressive resume: she’s a Disney princess! The actress and talented singer is playing Ariel in The Little Mermaid, the 2023 live-action remake of the 1989 beloved animated classic.
Possibly more impressive, Halle edged out many other actresses for the coveted role. “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,” director Rob Marshall said in a press release. Here’s what you should know about the actress as she steps into the spotlight.
Halle stars as Ariel in The Little Mermaid.
Halle knows that playing Ariel on the big screen is a life-changing moment for her and others. After the release of the first trailer for The Little Mermaid, videos went viral on social media of kids, especially young Black girls, reacting to Halle’s Ariel. “I’m just in a constant state of awe and so grateful that they are able to see themselves in a character like Ariel,” she told GMA. “I mean, we deserve to have representation where we can look and say, ‘Wow, I’m worthy too. She looks like me. I have a doll that looks like me.’ It’s so special and, you know, I’m just so grateful to even be a part of this.”
The movie has been modernized for today’s audiences, and Ariel isn’t just leaving the sea for a boy, a.k.a. Prince Eric. “I’m really excited for my version of the film because we’ve definitely changed that perspective of just her wanting to leave the ocean for a boy,” the actress told The Hollywood Reporter. “It’s way bigger than that. It’s about herself, her purpose, her freedom, her life, and what she wants.”
Halle makes up one-half of the singing duo Chloe x Halle.
Halle gained notoriety for her duets with older sister Chloe Bailey, which they would upload to YouTube. Although they play twins on Freeform’s Grown-ish, they’re actually two years apart in age (Halle was born in 2000, Chloe in 1998). Fun fact: The talented duo recorded the theme song, “Grown,” for the television series! In April 2016, they dropped their debut EP, Sugar Symphony, and released their first full-length album, The Kids Are Alright, in March 2018. Showing off their musical prowess even more, Chloe and Halle performed at both the 2019 Grammy Awards and sang “America the Beautiful” at the 2019 Super Bowl.
Beyoncé has been Halle and Chloe’s mentor.
Queen Bey has opened up the stage to the talented sister not once, but twice! Chloe and Halle served as the opening act during Beyonce’s European leg of The Formation World Tour and also opened for Beyoncé and JAY-Z on the U.S. leg of the On the Run Tour II. You can also catch Halle and Chloe making cameos in the visual album for Lemonade.
Beyonce still serves as a mentor, constructive critic, and hype-girl for the sisters to this day. For instance, Chloe revealed Beyonce offered her feedback following her solo performance at the 2021 MTV Video Music Awards. “It just warmed my heart to hear from her during that time and to just know I had her support and her love,” she gushed on Apple Music 1’s The Dotty Show. “The way she performs, the way her presence is on stage … she’s incredible and I’ve always looked up to her.”
Halle is dating DDG.
Halle and rapper DDG were first linked in January 2022 and went public with their romance a few months later in March. They notably walked the 2023 Vanity Fair Oscars after-party carpet together. When asked if DDG is a real-life Prince Charming, Halle told PEOPLE, “People love to talk about this. Yeah. I would say that.” She added, “I feel like things change when love gets more involved in your life. I have definitely discovered more within myself as a woman. … It’s a really cool thing to go through, but a transformative experience.”
Halle has 4 Grammy nominations to her name.
Chloe and Halle earned their first Grammy nominations in 2019 in the Best New Artist and Best Urban Contemporary Album categories for their debut album, The Kids Are Alright. They were nominated two years later at the 63rd Grammy Awards in the Best Progressive R&B Album category for their sophomore album, Ungodly Hour, and in the Best Traditional R&B Performance category for their song “Wonder What She Thinks of Me.”
While they have not won a Grammy, the musical sisters dream of it one day. “I’m filled with such gratitude,” Chloe told E!’s Giuliana Rancic following her loss in 2021. “We found out that we didn’t win the three awards tonight but it’s OK, we’re going to get them next time. I’m just happy that we were able to put so much love into the music that we created and can’t wait for what’s next.” That’s the spirit!
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This story originally appeared on Hollywoodlife
