Halle Bailey and Rachel Zegler recently tackled the wild world of online criticism with the finesse of seasoned comedians, as they stepped into the royal shoes of princesses Ariel and Snow White in the Disney sequels.
In a dazzling display of girl power on Variety’s Actors on Actors, Zegler threw a glittering compliment bouquet at Bailey, acknowledging her for gracefully handling the storm of racist comments that rained down when she became the first Black Ariel in The Little Mermaid movie.
Zegler, the 22-year-old dynamo, showered praise like confetti, saying, “You showed them how it’s done with style. I mean, I was so dazzled by the way you swatted away anyone who dared to throw shade your way.”
Curious, Zegler probed, “Did any of that negativity get under your fabulous mermaid scales? I mean, you certainly didn’t let it show.”
“Absolutely. I mean, we’re not robots, we’re not emotionless Disney animatronics,” Bailey responded, adding a touch of human realness to the fairy-tale conversation.
Bailey, however, unleashed a truth bomb, saying, “People forget that we’re not just fairy-tale characters brought to life. We’re real people with feelings, not just pixels on a giant screen. It’s like they need a reality check delivered by a magical seagull or something.”
She went on to reveal the secret behind turning online haters into digital minions: “I decided to treat online negativity like a magical creature that I could easily block out of my enchanted kingdom. You’ve got to keep the trolls under the bridge where they belong, right?”
Bailey spilled the tea on her initial reactions, confessing, “I used to get mad when I saw nasty comments online. I mean, who wouldn’t? It’s not easy being a woman in the spotlight. People think they can say anything online that they wouldn’t dare say in person. It’s like they’re auditioning for the role of the Evil Queen in a live-action drama.”
Zegler, with a twinkle in her eye, dropped some wisdom bombs, saying, “Choosing gratitude and thankfulness is like wielding a magic wand of peace.”
“We’re out here creating stuff that’s supposed to bring people together, and then there are these keyboard warriors trying to dismantle the fairy-tale unity. It’s like, come on, let’s not turn this into a virtual sword fight. It’s just not worth the pixie dust, you know?” explained the West Side Story enchantress.
Bailey joined the comedy parade, shouting, “Stay grateful, my friends, and let the haters play hide and seek with their negativity. Maybe they’ll find a magic mirror that tells them to work on their inner beauty instead!”
And with that, our modern-day princesses gracefully sashayed away from the online drama, leaving behind a trail of laughter and a sprinkle of fairy-tale wisdom.
