Jonah Hauer-King (Prince Eric) and Halle Bailey (Ariel) might have on and off-screen chemistry that sparked romance rumors, but a different budding relationship has caught everyone’s attention.
Typically, an evil sea witch on a mission to steal your voice (and your prince) isn’t the best friend candidate. Thankfully, the actress behind Ursula, Melissa McCarthy, has a personality more like a cuttlefish than a squid. The loveable break-out star from Bridesmaids (2011) with an Oscar-worthy performance in Can You Ever Forgive Me? (2018) became an unlikely duo with The Little Mermaid’s Ariel, Halle Bailey.
Related: Break-out ‘Little Mermaid’ Star Blocks Fans Suggesting “She Should Have Played Ariel”
Throughout promotions for the film, the pair praised each other’s talent and proudly shared how much they taught each other. In a SiriusXM interview, Bailey spoke of McCarthy’s guidance:
She taught me a lot also what it means to speak up for myself and command a set.
Beaming at each other in interviews while sharing their newfound friendship warms our Disney-loving hearts, but one particular McCarthy-Bailey moment was extra magical.
Melissa McCarthy Shares Bailey’s Unconscious Talent
Halle Bailey had to be laser-focused throughout filming to achieve the technological effects, musical performances, and emotional portrayal behind Ariel. But who says a magical mermaid can’t multitask?
In an interview shared by @sirK88 on Twitter, Melissa McCarthy sat side-by-side with Bailey as they often have since filming The Little Mermaid and let fans in on one of Bailey’s hidden habits.
I love this. Melissa talking about Halle's beautiful habit of humming. pic.twitter.com/x0fUPaeVZt
— K (@sirK88) May 31, 2023
In the video, McCarthy says:
Halle is at all times—incredibly quietly—humming. There’s always music generating out of you. It’s the most beautiful thing in the world.
Bailey covers her face in embarrassment while McCarthy continues:
I get to just listen to her. Sometimes I don’t think you even knew you were doing it. It just comes from you. It was divine.
This wasn’t the first time McCarthy applauded Bailey’s Beyoncé-trained singing chops. In an interview with Fandango shared by @TinyPrincessD, McCarthy said as soon as Bailey started singing, she was overcome with emotion.
I started crying day one. There’s something so beautiful about it and you’ve made it so—your own.
And this 😭😭 pic.twitter.com/2fiIuWHp3L
— Dora Dora Dora 🇭🇹 (@TinyPrincess_D) May 31, 2023
The chemistry between the on-screen Ursula and Ariel defies all Disney logic, but their shared admiration makes their friendship one for the books.
Disney fans can see these friends become enemies along with a star-studded cast, including Jessica Alexander as Vanessa, Jonah Hauer-King as Prince Eric, Jacob Tremblay as Flounder, Daveed Diggs as Sebastian, Awkwafina as Scuttle, Melissa McCarthy as Ursula, and Javier Bardem as King Triton in The Little Mermaid—playing in theaters everywhere now.
