Pop culture

6 Things To Know About Halle Bailey

As the premiere of The Little Mermaid gets closer, L’OFFICIEL takes a look at the actress taking on the beloved Princess Ariel.

Woman in a teal dress smiling to the camera.

The name Halle Bailey isn’t necessarily an unheard one, but it most certainly has been spoken a lot more in recent years. The singer and actress has accomplished a lot at a young age, with her most recent achievement landing the leading role in the live adaptation of The Little Mermaid. From singing at the 2019 Super Bowl to already having received four Grammy nominations, the 22-year-old, along with her sister Chloe Bailey, has proved to the world why she is a star worth paying attention to. To know more about the singer and actress, L’OFFICIEL has rounded up seven things to know about the talented performer.

She will be Ariel in the live action Little Mermaid.

A woman in a red dress smiling to the camera.

There’s no question about it—Bailey will be playing Ariel in the live adaptation of The Little Mermaid. While there has been nothing but praise from the cast and crew, Bailey was faced with a lot of racist backlash due to her being a Black woman playing a white (fictional) character. 

Regardless of the unnecessary hate, Bailey’s talent is unquestionable and the director himself, Rob Marshall, said that her audition blew him away. The Little Mermaid is set to premiere on May 26, 2023, and we can not wait to watch Bailey thriving (or should we say swimming) on the big screen.

She sings in a musical duo with her sister.

Two women singing on stage in a microphone.

Bailey’s initial rise to stardom came from the musical talents that she shares with her sister. Chloe x Halle began their musical endeavors as children at ages 13 and 11 by singing covers together and posting on Youtube. Their incredible harmony and stunning voices caught quick attention and were officially signed to Parkwood Entertainment in 2015.

She appeared on Austin and Ally.

A woman wearing a green striped shirt and patterned pants.

There’s a certain level of entertainment when looking back at previous work artists did before catching their big break. For the real ones that remember, before Chloe x Halle really blew up, they had a cameo appearance on Season 2 of Austin and Ally. Though their scene was brief, they shined in the spotlight while singing the song “Unstoppable.”

She was a main character on Grown-ish.

A woman with braid ponytails and wearing a yellow shirt.

While The Little Mermaid is most certainly the biggest acting project she will have done so far, Bailey does have past experience as a starring character on television. In the spin-off series of Black-ish, Grown-ish, Bailey plays Sky Forster, a student-athlete and twin sister to Jazz Forster (played by Bailey’s sister). Bailey had a recurring character for the first three seasons but was noticeably absent for the fourth season most likely due to her busy filming schedule.

She’s a protégé of Beyoncé.

Two women wearing latex black outfits while standing next to each other.

Before Chloe x Halle became big stars, it was Queen Bey that was the first major celebrity to recognize their talent and ended up taking them under her wing. After they posted themselves singing a cover of Beyoncé’s “Pretty Hurts,” it caught the eye of the queen herself who then signed the duo to her label, Parkwood Entertainment. From there Beyoncé had taken on the role of a mentor by having them open two of her tours, including them in her “All Night” music video, and never fails to cheer them on for all their accomplishments.

Recently, Bailey and her sister were given a shout in Beyoncé’s remix of her song “Break My Soul” featuring Madonna, and also attended the secret Renaissance party that took place in NYC in early August in honor of the album dropping.

She runs a handmade jewelry line.

A woman wearing a bodycon silver dress.

In addition to being a singer, songwriter, and actress, Bailey has also added the title of entrepreneur to her resumé. The star runs a handmade jewelry line on Etsy called Hallelujah Jewelry which features beaded necklaces and earrings. While she has already sold out, she’s already mentioned that she will open the store again and will restock eventually.

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