Stephanie Mills has publicly shown her support for Halle Bailey.
The older actress shared an open letter with the 23-year-old amid the racist backlash she received for appearing as the lead in “The Little Mermaid.” In case you missed it, Mills suffered a similar fate when she played Dorothy in the Broadway production of “The Wizard of Oz” titled “The Wiz” in 1975.
Stephanie Mills Roots For Halle Bailey In Open Letter Posted To Social Media
Since news broke that Bailey will play Ariel in the 2023 live-action remake of “The Little Mermaid,” critics have targeted her with offensive remarks about her race. To that end, Mills took to Facebook to write a heartfelt letter to Chloe x Halle’s band members, acknowledging what the singer went through.
She revealed that she got “so much hate mail” and was told that Judy Garland – the actress who played Dorothy in the 1939 film – would be “turning in her grave” at the thought of a 17-year-old black girl taking over her signature role. Addressing the racist criticism leveled at the “Cool People” singer, the 66-year-old actor wrote:
“Sad to see the same thing happen to this beautiful, talented, smart and intelligent actress. Halle, God put you in this place and time … So let your light shine. Hold your head high, walk calmly, and celebrate your greatness.”
A letter I wrote to the beautiful and talented @HalleBailey who starred in the @Disney movie #THELITTLEMERMAID. I touched on the parallels I had as a young black girl playing Dorothy 50 years ago in #TheWiz on Broadway. So happy for him. #BlackGirlMagic?????? pic.twitter.com/NHWoraHK9l
— Stephanie Mills (@PrettyMill1) May 28, 2023
The “I Feel Good All Over” singer later stated that critics believed she “wouldn’t make it on Broadway” and told her she “can’t sing” and “is [too] dark.” After pointing out that he had “watched and listened” as “they” tried to tell Bailey why he “shouldn’t and couldn’t”, Mills concluded:
“I am very proud of you and how you handled all the opponents. We have never met, however I have been in your place. Baby girl, tell them this #LittleMermaid is made of teflon.”
The American Music Award recipient’s letter of solidarity was re-shared through him Twitter, and it instantly became the talk of his fans. “Made of Teflon. Miss Stephanie, you are the realest of them all, and I hope Halle continues to have half your career. Class action?,” a fan said answered.
The second netizen tweeted, “Empowered women empower other women. Now that black brilliance, we support us & I love that for us✊?❤️? #BlackGirlMagic ??.” Third person ejaculated, “Two legends…. you all don’t understand!! ??,” and the fourth clapping hands, “The world has vicious cycles, but it’s good that the elders who have been through it can reach back and help. ????.”
Mills’ letter comes after “The Little Mermaid” director Rob Marshall opened up about an online statement he made when Bailey first landed the role in 2019. He admitted his shock at people still seeing the world in an “old-fashioned way,” adding:
“When the controversy comes from narrow-minded people, I think, ‘Wow, that really feels like it’s from another century. Are we really still there?'”
MEGA
Even so, Marshall focused on one of the highest points in the cast of “Ungodly Hour”: young children can now relate better to the story because it has someone who looks like them.
‘The Little Mermaid’ Swims To $118M Memorial Day Debut At Box Office
After the premiere of the Disney film on May 26, Diversity has reported that it is poised to bring in $118 million over its four-day debut, with $96 million of that coming from its first three days. With that total, the project now ranks as Hollywood’s fifth-highest Memorial Day opening.
It’s worth noting that the film’s audience has been boosted by many people who first connected with Ariel during her initial appearance on the big screen in the late 80s and a generation of fans who weren’t even born when the original film was released.
Even though they know about the dynamic character through his appearances on television, DVD and streaming platforms, they are still eager to see the film on the big screen.
In the United States alone, 68% of the audience was female, with 25% of ticket buyers between 25 to 34 years old and 22% of children contributing to the massive opening weekend crowd. Internationally, the film earned $68.3 million from 51 material markets.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
