Being an actress sharing a very similar sounding name to another big Hollywood star is always likely to lead to some confusion, as has been proven in the case of Halle Bailey. The actress and R&B singer will be seen playing Ariel in Disney’s live-action The Little Mermaid in 2023, but a recent interaction on Twitter seemed to suggest that some people may be expecting to see another star heading under the sea – namely Halle Berry.
Tweeting in reply to a message from a fan saying they couldn’t wait to see her “under da sea,” Berry made a sweet and endearing reply to point out the error. The Oscar winner tweeted, “…wrong Halle lol. I can’t wait to see her too though!” The reply gained its own set of responses from those pointing out they wished they had made the mistake if it meant getting a reply from Berry, while others were quick to compliment her on being mistaken for an actress 30 years her junior. All in all, it was in good humor, and clearly it is not the first time the mistake has been made and is not the first time Berry has offered her praise to Bailey.
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There was a significant amount of online backlash when the original casting was announced, with questions being raised over why a Black actress was being cast in the role of Ariel, who in every well-known take on the Hans Christian Anderson tale has been portrayed or animated as white. However, many were happy with the casting, and Halle Berry was one of those who very quickly took to her social media to add her support to the casting decision. Writing on her Twitter account at the time, Berry said, “In case you needed a reminder… Halles get it DONE. Congratulations @chloexhalle on this amazing opportunity, we can’t wait to see what you do! #TheLittleMermaid #HalleBailey”
Considering how similar in the name the actresses are, it is not surprising that in passing they have been mistaken for each other, and the initial confusion has also led to fans wanting Halle Berry to play Ariel’s mother in The Little Mermaid, although that role has already been given to Noma Dumezweni. However, fans of Berry have been given plenty of new projects from the actress recently, with her roles in John Wick 3, Bruised and the upcoming Moonfall and The Mothership meaning that those desperate to see her on-screen have a few options to choose from.
The Little Mermaid was originally expected to arrive in cinemas in 2022, but one of Disney’s slate shuffles earlier this year meant the film ended up settling on a May 26th, 2023 release giving fans a long wait to see Halle Bailey, and definitely not Halle Berry, taking on the iconic role alongside an ensemble cast featuring Javier Bardem, Melissa McCarthy, Daveed Diggs and Awkwafina among others. The film will also feature brand new songs written by the original movie’s composer Alan Menken and Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda.
