LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Halle Bailey is all set for her ethereal Disney princess role which she said was "physically intense" to work for. Talking about her physique while filming 'Little Mermaid', the actress jokingly said, "Well, the six-pack is gone now, but it was there when I was filming."
Apart from not having her older sister Chloe Bailey by her side during the film's shoot as it was the first time they lived apart, the 23-year-old found playing the role of Ariel to be challenging in terms of its physicality. "Looking back, I'm really proud of myself, but it was like it was blood, sweat, and tears. I've been pushing myself to the limits, past what I thought I could ever do in my life," Bailey said as her preparation for the role was physically, mentally, and spiritually intense, reported USA Today.
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'I'm trying to hold myself up with my core'
The Grammy-nominated artist said that she starts her day in the gym every day at 5 am where she would spend hours for her workout during the filming. "I'm trying to hold myself up with my core while singing and while acting and trying to look like I'm not shaking because it's like a workout I'm doing, like a plank. So it was all of the things, trying to weave them together and look like, 'This is natural, this is a normal day, I swim in the ocean every day,' " Bailey said.
'She's just a natural athlete'
Praising the 'Ungodly Hour' singer's athleticism while filming the musical fantasy, director Rob Marshall said, "You have to have a great core strength for that kind of thing. They did a lot of training prior, so they'd be ready."
"She's a great swimmer, we didn't even know that till after we cast her. And also she's a runner. She's just a natural athlete. So is Javier (Bardem as King Triton) and so is Melissa (McCarthy as Ursula). I was lucky that we had great people working with us. Great athletic people who understand movement beautifully," he added.
The new live-action movie 'Little Mermaid' is set to release on Friday, May 26. Bailey will be playing the role 'Nettie' in the upcoming Oprah and Steven Spielberg-produced project 'The Color Purple' which is expected to release on December 25 according to USA Today.
