Now that Halle Bailey has been cast as Ariel in Disney’s live-action version of The Little Mermaid, questions surrounding who will play Prince Eric and Ariel’s sisters have gotten even more interesting. Bailey’s casting opens up the floodgates to consider other POC actors for these roles, so with that said, here’s who we think could play Prince Eric and Ariel’s sisters Attina, Alana, Adella, Aquata, Arista and Andrina.
Marquis Rodriguez as Prince Eric
Prince Eric is supposed to be extremely handsome and debonair, and who else could be Prince Eric except for Marquis Rodriguez. Rodriguez has made waves portraying Raymond Santana in Ava DuVernay’s When They See Us, so we already know he has more than enough range to tackle Prince Eric. He’s also been added to HBO’s Game of Thrones prequel featuring Naomi Ackie, Sheila Atim and Ivanno Jeremiah. But on top of that, Rodriguez already has some ties to Disney. In 2009, he played young Simba in The Lion King Broadway musical.
Ariel’s six sisters aren’t the focal point in the animated Little Mermaid, so we never got to know them until the animated TV show and the prequel film The Little Mermaid: Ariel’s Beginning. So while we didn’t know anything about their personalities before, we now have enough of an inkling of their personalities to fan cast.
Tiffany Boone as Attina
Attina is the eldest of the sisters and is the next in line for the throne. Since her character is all about responsibility, this might be a great role for The Chi star Tiffany Boone. Boone’s age lends maturity as well; while Attina is said to be 21 in the Disney show and prequel, Boone is 32 but can play much younger characters. Boone can give Attina that “wise beyond her years” flair she needs.
Sierra Aylina McClain as Alana
Alana is the next oldest and is depicted as being someone into health and beauty. Perhaps this might be a good role for Sierra Alyina McClain, who has wowed fans on Empire as the beautiful and talented Nessa Parker. McClain has also worked her way up through the Disney ranks, guest-starring A.N.T. Farm and in Tyler Perry’s projects Daddy’s Little Girls (with her sisters China Anne McClain and Lauryn Alisa McClain) and House of Payne. Her personal experience relating to her sisters on-set and within their singing group The McClain Sisters will work well for her character, who has to relate to six other siblings.
Normani as Adela
19-year-old Adella is depicted as a naturally curvy mermaid who is obsessed with boys. Perhaps she could be played by the equally curvy singer Normani, who has already been fan cast by social media as Storm and Princess Tiana. Normani has yet to break into the acting world, and when she has, such as for the online kids series Barbie: Life in the Dreamhouse, she was portraying herself. But the mermaid sisters are all musically gifted, and what would be better than to have Normani and Bailey singing on the same soundtrack?
Lovie Simone as Aquata
Aquata was characterized as being the most neurotic of the sisters because of her obsessive-compulsiveness, but her sisters still believe in her toughness and fortitude. As someone who is neurotic themselves, I personally believe that a little showcase of neuroticism is a sign of high intelligence. So why not cast Lovie Simone as Aquata. Simone won over audiences with her performance in Selah and the Spades. Her character Selah is one of the leaders of her school, and after playing a cunning, sharp character like Selah, it’ll be interesting to see Simone play a character with a different kind of sharpness. She also gives a great performance in OWN’s Greenleaf.
Skai Jackson as Arista
Arista is described as a fun-loving mermaid who often takes her sister Aquata’s belongings. But she’s also someone who sticks to the rules and doesn’t abide by Ariel’s free-spirited ways. However, she does end up helping Ariel out on some adventures. Perhaps this role of the reluctant adventurer could go to Skai Jackson, who has a lot of experience playing a fun, precocious character type.
Jackson has been a huge part of Disney Channel, appearing on multiple shows like Bunk’d. Of course, her big claim to fame on Disney was Jessie, where she co-starred with the late Cameron Boyce.
Chloe Bailey as Andrina
Andrina is the daughter closest to Ariel in age, and she is described as being funny and a little bit of a gossiper. This fun character could go to none other than Chloe Bailey. Both Chloe and Halle star together on grown-ish, and I’m sure Halle wouldn’t mind having her sister on set with her as both familial support and a friendly face.
Who would you cast as Ariel’s family and future husband Prince Eric?
READ MORE:
8 Pieces Of Beautiful Fan Art Inspired By Halle Bailey’s ‘The Little Mermaid’ Casting
Halle Bailey To Star As Ariel In Disney’s Live-Action ‘The Little Mermaid’
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