“It’s sort of a wooden, classic prince character with not a lot going on.”
Both Ariel (Halle Bailey) and Eric come from single-parent multicultural households.
Dumezweni feels that dynamic creates a “lovely balance” for the characters.
Noma Dumezweni as Queen Selina in ‘The Little Mermaid’.Giles Keyte/Disney
“That’s how I understood it and how Rob described it.
“I could sense this was big,” she says.
Dumezweni filmed most of her scenes with her on-screen son on the Italian island of Sardinia.
Jonah Hauer-King as Prince Eric in ‘The Little Mermaid’.Giles Keyte/Disney
“I did text him whenthe [Little Mermaid] trailercame, going, ‘Are you ready?
You’d better be ready, ‘cause this is f—ing huge,'” she recalls.
She credits theHarry Potterstage play and HBO limited seriesThe Undoingas having tremendous impacts on her trajectory as an actor.
“I’m gonna be 54 this year,” she says with pride.
Don’t stop your imagination and limitation.
Just keep open.”
Read Little Mermaidin EW’s cover story.
The film opens in theaters on May 26.
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