Jodie Benson, the lead of the original Disney classic "The Little Mermaid", has backed the casting of teen star Halle Bailey as the new Ariel in the film's live-action remake.
The young actor's casting was mostly hailed by the fans but some people said that it was not in keeping with the original version of a white, redheaded mermaid. #NotMyAriel was trending on Twitter last week.
Benson, who voiced Ariel in the 1989 movie, addressed the issue during the Florida Supercon.
"I think the most important thing is to tell the story. We have, as a family, raised our children and for ourselves that we don't see anything that's different on the outside. I think that the spirit of a character is what really matters. What you bring to the table in a character as far as their heart and their spirit is what really counts," the 57-year-old actor said.
"We need to be storytellers. And no matter what we look like on the outside, no matter our race, our nation, the colour of our skin, our dialect, whether I'm tall or thin, whether I'm overweight or underweight, or my hair is whatever colour, we really need to tell the story," she added.
The live-action film, to be directed by Rob Marshall, will revolve around Hans Christian Andersen's fairytale of a mermaid called Ariel who wishes to be human after she falls in love with a prince. Ariel makes a deal with Ursula, who grants her the wish but takes away her voice in return.
Awkwafina and Jacob Tremblay are already on board the project while Melissa McCarthy is in talks to play sea witch Ursula.
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