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The Little Mermaid cast member only had a few minutes of screen time—and zero time for internet trolls.
Crafty Disney fans have been uncovering clips of the highly-anticipated movie, the live-action remake of The Little Mermaid, for months leading up to its Memorial Day Weekend debut. With crabby responses to a realistic Sebastian (Daveed Diggs), lukewarm reactions to Scuttle’s (Awkwafina) “Scuttlebutt,” and rave reviews of Ariel’s (Halley Bailey) “Part of Your World,” Disney fans essentially knew what to expect from the worldwide premiere.
However, one character with no more than 10 minutes of screen time caught everyone by surprise and reeled in a school of new fans. Although Disney fans have become acquainted with Jonah-Hauer King’s Prince Eric, whose performance was applauded, few viewers have seen a preview of the film’s break-out star: Jessica Alexander.
jessica alexander as vanessa, the little mermaid 2023. 🐚✨ pic.twitter.com/x7Nn3SYQVM
— cah (@ambshard) May 26, 2023
Related: Online Racist Trolls Are Sinking ‘The Little Mermaid’s’ Box Office
An unknown actress and arguably another risky casting decision by director Rob Marshall, Alexander took moviegoers by storm on its opening weekend. With her portrayal as Vanessa, the human form Ursula takes on as she attempts to steal Eric’s heart from Ariel, she won over fans like @Davinexl, who praised her on social media:
This scene of the little mermaid has been stuck in my head . Every bit of emotion Jessica Alexander puts into her laughter , the look in her eyes. My Vanessa.
This scene of the little mermaid has been stuck in my head . Every bit of emotion Jessica Alexander puts into her laughter , the look in her eyes .
My Vanessa. pic.twitter.com/9WcoS5K1nS— Davine (@Davinexl) May 26, 2023
The response from the audience to Alexander’s short-lived scenes shows there are no small parts, and based on a viral social media post, Alexander isn’t letting the flattery get to her head.
Alexander Claps Back at Fans
There’s praise and pettiness—and Alexander refuses to fuel the latter. Unlike her evil onscreen persona, Alexander readily supports the actress behind Ariel, Halle Bailey.
In a post on Twitter by @alexandersjess, Alexander shared her admiration for Bailey:
Do u have any idea how cool I feel with Halle’s voice coming out of my mouth in this movie like??? It’s like cosplaying having the voice of an angel best karaoke session ever
— best of jessica alexander (@alexandersjess) May 28, 2023
Related: Halle Bailey Defends Ariel’s Locs in the New ‘Little Mermaid’
Not only does Alexander readily praise Bailey’s talent, but she’s quick to defend her on social media. Intermixed with applause for her performance are comments suggesting she should have been cast as Ariel—even though she has brown hair and more closely resembles Vanessa. On Reddit, u/Zimzalabimcult shared this viral comment:
She is so pretty !! I’m still kinda disappointed in her becaus she blocked me and my mutuals for commenting she should’ve played Ariel instead.
Jessica Alexander is blocking people who are suggesting she should have been cast as Ariel, in the newest “The Little Mermaid” movie
byu/Zimzalabimcult inFauxmoi
Alexander has drawn a line in the sand where she won’t entertain comments undermining Bailey and her talent. This aligns with the support between cast members throughout The Little Mermaid’s promotion and likely contributed to the onscreen chemistry between them that garnered $120 million at the US box office on its opening weekend.
Worldwide audiences can witness Alexander’s star power in The Little Mermaid along with Halle Bailey as the ethereal Ariel, Jonah Hauer-King as the dashing Prince Eric, Jacob Tremblay as Flounder, Daveed Diggs as Sebastian, Awkwafina as Scuttle, Melissa McCarthy as Ursula, and Javier Bardem as King Triton in theaters now.
