Halle Bailey plays Ariel in the new live-action remake – and she’s joined by a host of big name stars.

By Patrick Cremona

Published: Friday, 26 May 2023 at 12:00 am

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Following hot on the heels of Disney‘s live-action reimaginings of The Jungle Book, The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast and more, fans are now being treated to a live-action makeover of The Little Mermaid – and it boasts an impressive cast.

Based on the 1989 Disney animated classic of the same name, the new live-action remake stars pop star Halle Bailey as the titular character, Ariel.

Jonah Hauer-King also stars as Prince Eric, Melissa McCarthy as tentacled sea witch Ursula, and Javier Bardem as King Triton. In addition, Noma Dumezweni stars as new character Queen Selina, while Awkwafina and Daveed Diggs voice Scuttle and Sebastian, respectively.

While the live-action remake stays largely faithful to the original, there have been a few changes along the way.

The Little Mermaid star McCarthy recently revealed one key alteration to her character which had a big effect on the story.

Talking about how the evil sea witch is now shown to be King Triton’s estranged sister, she explained during an exclusive interview with RadioTimes.com: “Maybe [in the original] it’s a little more one-dimensional, kind of good versus evil.

“Well, now it’s siblings and family, and to have your family shun you and isolate you and banish you has a lot more emotional impact than just simply good and evil… It’s like they really made it modern and relevant.”

Meanwhile, there are a number of other recognisable names in the cast list – read on for everything you need to know, including who they’re playing and where you might have seen them before.

The Little Mermaid cast

Halle Bailey plays Ariel

Who is Ariel? A mermaid princess and King Triton’s youngest daughter who is fascinated with the human world – especially after she meets Prince Eric.

What else has Halle Bailey been in? Bailey and her sister Chloe first found fame as the musical duo Chloe x Halle, while she had her first major acting role as part of the cast for the Black-ish spin-off series Grown-ish. She will also appear in the upcoming movie musical version of The Color Purple.

Daveed Diggs voices Sebastian

Disney

Who is Sebastian? A loyal crab and King Triton’s trusted servant and court composer who watches over Ariel.

What else has Daveed Diggs been in? Diggs has found success in music, on stage and on screen – with career highlights including originating the roles of Marquis de Lafayette and Thomas Jefferson in Hamilton, playing the lead role in the TV series Snowpiercer, and writing and starring in the film Blindspotting. Other screen credits include Black-ish, Central Park, The Good Lord Bird, and Extrapolations on TV, and Velvet Buzzsaw and Soul on the big screen.

Awkwafina voices Scuttle

Disney

Who is Scuttle? A dim-witted northern gannet and a friend of Ariel’s who provides inaccurate descriptions of any human object Ariel finds.

What else has Awkwafina been in? Another star who has found success both as a rapper and an actor, Awkwafina has had a string of high-profile film roles in recent years including Ocean’s 8, Crazy Rich Asians, The Farewell, Jumanji: The Next Level, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and Renfield. Meanwhile, on the small screen, she co-created, writes, and stars in the sitcom Awkwafina Is Nora from Queens.

Jonah Hauer-King plays Eric

Disney

Who is Eric? A human prince whom Ariel falls in love with after saving him from drowning.

What else has Jonah Hauer-King been in? Hauer-King has had key roles in a number of TV dramas in the UK, including the BBC adaptations of Howards End and Little Women in 2017, and a main part in the 2019 Second World War drama World on Fire. Previous film credits include The Last Photograph, A Dog’s Way Home and This is the Night.

Jacob Tremblay voices Flounder

Disney

Who is Flounder? An anxious yet noble tropical fish who is Ariel’s best friend.

What else has Jacob Tremblay been in? Tremblay broke out as a child actor with his acclaimed performance in the Oscar-nominated film Room, and he has been working consistently since then – with key credits including Wonder, Doctor Sleep, Luca, and My Father’s Dragon.

Javier Bardem plays King Triton

Disney

Who is Triton? Ariel’s overprotective father and the King of Atlantica who is prejudiced against humans.

What else has Javier Bardem been in? One of the most acclaimed actors of his generation, Bardem won an Oscar for playing antagonist Anton Chigurh in No Country for Old Men, while he also played Bond villain Raoul Silva in Skyfall. Other major credits include Before Night Falls, Collateral, Vicky Cristina Barcelona, Biutiful, mother!, and Dune.

Melissa McCarthy plays Ursula

Disney

Who is Ursula? A treacherous sea witch with octopus tentacles whom Ariel makes a deal with to become a human, which is secretly part of Ursula’s plan to conquer Atlantica.

What else has Melissa McCarthy been in? Having broken out with roles in TV series such as Gilmore Girls, Samantha Who?, and Mike & Molly, McCarthy is best known for comic roles in films such as Bridesmaids, Identity Thief, The Heat, St. Vincent, and Spy. She has received Oscar nominations for both her part in Bridesmaids and her more dramatic role as Lee Israel in Can You Ever Forgive Me?, while more recent credits include the TV shows Nine Perfect Strangers and God’s Favorite Idiot.

The cast also includes Noma Dumezweni (The Watcher) as Queen Selina, Jessica Alexander (Get Even) as Vanessa (Ursula’s human alter ego), Emily Coates (Cursed) as Rosa, John Dagleish (Mary Poppins Returns) as Mulligan, Martina Laird (Dreamland) as Lashana, Art Malik (Holby City) as Grimsby, Lorena Andrea (Warrior Nun) as Perla, Simone Ashley (Bridgerton) as Indira, Kajsa Mohammar (Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga) as Karina, Nathalie Sorrell as Caspia, Karolina Conchet as Mala, and Sienna King as Tamika.