Melissa McCarthy Says She ‘Burst Out Crying’ When She Heard Halle Bailey’s Voice on ‘Little Mermaid’ Set

11.06.2022

Disney’s live-action remake of The Little Mermaid is set to release in 2023, boasting an all-star cast that includes Javier Bardem, Awkwafina, Jacob Tremblay, Melissa McCarthy and Halle Bailey as Ariel.

During an appearance on Watch What Happens Live on Thursday (June 9), McCarthy, who plays Ursula in the upcoming film, responded to a question from a fan who asked, “How Halle Bailey’s version of Ariel in The Little Mermaid and are there any new songs in this live action version?”

“First, I’ll say I’ll be killed for anything I say,” McCarthy jokingly replied, before sharing a heartwarming story. “Secondly, we were on set and they just started playing Halle’s version of the song.”

At this point, though she didn’t reveal which song she was referring to, the actress begins to tear up, adding, “I had a truly, really — not weird reaction, just overwhelming. It’s so beautiful and it’s from such a — it’s just different. That girl has got roots down and she sings from her heart. When I heard it, there were like seven of us that just burst out crying because we had not heard it.”

“She is a remarkable young woman in every moment, how she is on set, how she is as a person and I burst out crying,” she continued. “And now I realize, now she’s thinking, ‘There’s a really old woman in front of me crying and this is weird.’ But I couldn’t get it together.”

As for the film, McCarthy didn’t reveal much, but she did say that all the “familiars” are in the film, plus “maybe” a “new friend.”

Upon seeing the clip, Bailey took to Twitter to share her gratitude. “this was so kind,” she tweeted in response. “miss yo.@melissamccarthy.”

Watch the entire clip, and Bailey’s response, below.