Halle Bailey’s name was all over the headlines in 2019 when it was announced that she was the actress tapped to bring the beloved character Ariel to life in the live-action reimagining of Disney’s “The Little Mermaid.” However, Bailey’s career began before she headed under the sea, and portraying the red-headed mermaid isn’t her only claim to fame.
Career overview
Learn more about Halle Bailey’s childhood and look at the events leading up to her propel into the spotlight.
Early life and background
Halle Lynn Bailey was born March 27, 2000, in Mableton, Georgia, to Courtney and Doug Bailey. She’s the third of four children, the younger sister of Ski and Chloe Bailey and older sister to a brother, Branson Bailey.
Bailey’s older sister, Chloe, began her acting career at just two years old and spent her early childhood years acting, dancing and singing. It wasn’t long before the youngest Bailey sister followed her lead and jumped into acting at age three.
As a child, Bailey appeared in several commercials, the Queen Latifah film “Last Holiday” as Tina and the Disney Channel Original Movie “Let It Shine.” She also appeared in an episode of “Tyler Perry’s House of Payne” as Tiffany, a friend of Jazmine, a main character portrayed by China Anne McClain.
Despite being cast to act in several projects, Bailey primarily focused on music during her childhood. She and Chloe made their official debut as a musical duo at 7 and 5 years old when they performed together at a summer camp at Spelman College. Then, her father taught them to write songs, and the duo learned how to play instruments via YouTube tutorials.
“The first few songs we wrote were horrible,” Bailey told Rolling Stone in 2016, “but as time went on, they turned into something beautiful.”
When they were 8 and 10 years old, respectively, Chloe and Halle (stylized as Chloe x Halle) decided to introduce themselves to the world. They began uploading videos of themselves singing covers of popular songs on YouTube.
Posting on YouTube introduced Chloe and Halle to a larger audience. It also put them on 32-time Grammy Award-winner Beyoncé’s radar. She stumbled upon the sisters’ piano-and-voice cover of her song “Pretty Hurts” when it went viral in 2014.
A year after discovering the Baileys’ videos, Beyoncé signed them to her label, Parkwood Entertainment. The duo caught First Lady Michelle Obama’s eye, too, and were invited to perform for her twice.
Breakout role in ‘The Little Mermaid’
Bailey’s most noteworthy role to date is her portrayal of Ariel in the live-action adaptation of Disney’s “The Little Mermaid.” Though the film didn’t premiere until 2023, Bailey’s involvement with the project was announced in 2019. From the time Disney announced her casting until the film opened in theaters, the internet buzzed about Bailey as Ariel.
While some were fans of this choice, others were not. The anti-Bailey-as-Ariel crowd complained that she didn’t look like the original character, who was drawn as white in the original animated film. Bailey was surprised by the backlash and told the “Edition” magazine: “Seeing the world’s reaction to it was definitely a shock.” But she remained confident in her ability to play the role. She was especially excited to positively represent the young Black children who would see the film.
“The Little Mermaid” director Rob Marshall defended her casting in a statement, saying:
“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.”
Despite negative reactions to her casting, “The Little Mermaid” was a box office success, grossing over $569 million worldwide. Bailey’s performance was praised as empowering, especially for Black girls and women, and her casting was considered a sign of Disney’s progress.
Musical duo: Chloe x Halle
Before being spotted by Queen Bey herself, Chloe and Halle managed to build a large following. In 2012, the duo appeared on Ellen DeGeneres’s talk show and won Radio Disney’s Next Big Thing music competition. In 2013, they were invited to appear on an episode of the Disney Channel Original Series “Austin & Ally.” They performed one of their original songs, “Unstoppable,” on the show.
2016 was a big year for Chloe and Halle. They made their first Parkwood Entertainment release, an EP called “Sugar Symphony.” They also went on the European leg of Beyoncé’s Formation World Tour as openers, opened for Andra Day on her “Cheers to the Fall” tour and appeared as members of Beyoncé’s Black-girl squad alongside names like Zendaya, Winnie Harlow, Amandla Stenberg and Ibeyi in her visual album, “Lemonade.”
The duo’s career continued to grow. In 2017, they released a mixtape called “The Two of Us.” Rolling Stone hailed it as one of the year’s best R&B albums. The sisters also landed roles in “Grown-ish,” a spinoff of ABC comedy “Black-ish,” and composed and performed the series’ theme song.
The Bailey sisters’ long list of accomplishments also includes being asked to open Super Bowl LIII with a performance of “America the Beautiful” in 2019 and receiving the Billboard Rising Star Award in 2020.
The sisters have shifted their focus to individual projects, but the duo has not broken up. At the end of 2023, the elder of the two shared their plans to begin working on a third album the next year. However, Chloe and Halle have yet to release new music.
Discography
Bailey boasts several musical releases, both as a duo member and solo artist.
Studio albums
Though she has yet to release a debut album as a soloist, Bailey has two as one-half of the Chloe x Halle duo:
- “The Kids Are Alright” (2018)
- “Ungodly Hour” (2020)
The sister act’s debut studio album “The Kids Are Alright” earned them GRAMMY nominations for Best Urban Contemporary Album and Best New Artist. Their sophomore album, “Ungodly Hour,” also got them on the GRAMMY nominations list in three categories:
- Best Progressive R&B Album
- Best Traditional R&B Performance (for the song “Wonder What She Thinks of Me”)
- Best R&B Song (for “Do It”)
However, they didn’t leave either Recording Academy ceremony with awards.
Notable singles
Bailey has released three singles as a soloist:
- “Angel” (2023)
- “In Your Hands” (2024)
- “Because I Love You” (2024)
Bailey told “Essence” that her debut single, “Angel,” is a vulnerable track written to reflect on a period of self-discovery and self-growth the Georgia native experienced after enduring heavy criticism for her role in “The Little Mermaid.”
“This song was a mixture of all my emotions and how I can be so grateful for something and so overwhelmed. This song for me was my affirmations that I would tell myself in order to keep going.”
The heartfelt, empowering track landed on the 66th GRAMMY Awards nomination list for Best R&B Song, though it lost to SZA’s “Snooze.”
Bailey has also contributed to the soundtracks of some of the films she has starred in, singing promotional singles “Part of Your World” and “Can Your Feel the Love Tonight” for “The Little Mermaid” and “Keep It Movin” featuring Phylicia Pearl Mpasi for “The Color Purple.”
Filmography
Though music is what made Bailey well-known, the Georgia native has had her fair share of time on the silver and big screens.
Major film roles
Halle Bailey’s movie credits include appearances in:
- “Last Holiday” (2006) as Tina
- “The Little Mermaid” (2023) as Ariel
- “The Color Purple” (2023) as Young Nettie Harris
She also appeared alongside Alex Wolff in “The Line,” an American drama film that debuted at the Tribeca Festival in June 2023 and in select theaters in October 2024.
Television appearances
Throughout her career, Bailey has managed to get a few television appearances under her belt. A few of Bailey’s TV roles are:
- “Tyler Perry’s House of Payne” (2007) as Tiffany
- “Let It Shine” (2012) as an uncredited choir member
- “The Ellen Show” (2012) as herself
- “Austin & Ally” (2013) as herself
- “Wild ‘n Out” (2018) as herself
- “Grown-ish” (2018-2022) as Sky Forster
Bailey has also appeared in several Disney sing-along specials.
Upcoming projects
A lot of public interest was gathered around Bailey’s romantic relationship with YouTuber and rapper DDG. The two, however, called it quits earlier this year, publicly announcing they’ll be taking co-parenting roles.
After a very private pregnancy, Bailey gave birth to her first child, a son named Halo, in December 2023. Though she celebrates motherhood and loves her newest role as a mother, Bailey continues working in the entertainment industry.
No official release dates have been announced, but fans can expect more music from Bailey as a solo artist and as a duet partner. She’ll also star in “Golden” (2025). The coming-of-age musical film is, according to producer Pharrell Williams, “a celebration of Black life, Black culture, and most importantly, Black joy.” It hits theaters in May 2025.
Impact on youth culture
Bailey’s artistic contributions have significantly impacted younger audiences, especially in the realms of representation, breaking barriers and self-confidence.
Much of her impact, especially among Black viewers, stems from her involvement in “The Little Mermaid.” Her casting sparked backlash, with critics insisting that a Black actress shouldn’t bring the traditionally white character to life onscreen. However, it also sparked conversations about diversity and representation, which Bailey made a point to participate in.
At the premiere of the film, Bailey said of giving the world a Black Ariel, “It means the world to me, especially for the beautiful babies to be able to see a reflection of themselves. I am just honored to be a part of this and be one of the princesses now because, for me, it was Brandy as Cinderella and then Anika Rose as Princess Tiana. So, the fact that I am getting to continue this and live on this legacy is really exciting and I’m just grateful.”
While promoting the film, Bailey told the press on several occasions how seriously she took her crowning as the latest Disney princess, a title only one Black woman (Anika Noni Rose as Tiana in “The Princess and the Frog”) held before her.
In a 2023 interview with “The New York Times,” Bailey shared that she felt a kinship to Ariel as a child. Despite the negative reception to her casting, she wasn’t afraid to take on the responsibility of bringing the character to life, noting:
“I don’t really let that affect me. I just focus on the positives and the greatness that I’ve been seeing in these beautiful babies’ reactions.”
Awards and nominations
Bailey holds numerous accolades for her contributions to music and acting. A few of her notable career highlights are:
- 2019: Best New Artist and Best Urban Contemporary Album GRAMMY Award nominations (shared with her sister, Chloe)
- 2021: Best Progressive R&B Album, Best R&B Song and Best Traditional R&B Performance GRAMMY Award nominations (shared with her sister, Chloe)
- 2024: Best R&B Song GRAMMY Award nomination (as a solo artist)
- 2023: Glamour Awards Gamechanger of the Year
- 2023: Bulletin Awards Best Actress in a Motion Picture (“The Little Mermaid”)
- 2024: Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture nominee (“The Color Purple”)
According to Celebrity Net Work, Halle Bailey’s net worth is $3 million. Allegedly, Halle Bailey was paid $1.5 million for her role in “The Little Mermaid,” although some think the sum was much lower, summing up at around $500,000.
Halle Bailey’s bright future
Currently, the actress and musician’s plans remain fairly unknown. But history indicates more advocacy for positive representation and diversity in media is on the horizon for Bailey, along with songs characterized by catchy lyrics and impressive vocals, plus top billings on TV shows and films.
Bailey’s name has shown up on several outlets’ rising star lists over the years — “TIME” and “The Root” are just two of them — and based on the path her career has taken, the predictions were correct: Bailey is certainly a name to watch.
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