Brownies make a splash with The Little Mermaid stars

24 May 2023: Alongside educational charity The Female Lead, Brownies from south London had a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to interview the stars of the eagerly awaited Disney remake of The Little Mermaid.

Eleanor, 8, and Naomi, 7, from 62^nd Croydon Brownies interviewed stars Halle Bailey, Jonah Hauer-King, Daveed Diggs and Jacob Tremblay about their experience shooting the new live action film earlier this week.

Speaking to Eleanor and Naomi, Halle Bailey, who plays Ariel said: “I truly believe that girls like you can learn to go after what you want in life - follow your dreams no matter what. I think Ariel felt just that she had so much to pursue, so much to do and so much she wanted for herself. So, she went out there and she got it. Even though there was lots of trials and tribulations going through everything with Ursula, and what she was willing to sacrifice. In the end, she was happy that she gave it all to follow her dreams and to go after what she wanted.”

When asked about his favourite part of filming the movie, Jonah Hauer-King, who plays Prince Eric said: “There was so many parts that I loved... But I’d say the standout best thing was probably meeting Halle and getting to work with her because she’s so special and such a brilliant actor and I learnt so much from her, professionally but also as a person.

Girlguiding empowers girls to know they can do anything, have fun and adventures and to speak out about the issues they care about. The Brownies wanted to know if the actors had any advice for them, and why they thought it was important to see strong girls and women characters in films.

Halle told the girls: “I think it’s so important for us to see strong girls and women in movies, because it’s an example of what we can be in the future. I remember Princess Tiana in my favourite movie, Princess and the Frog, and seeing how she was working so hard in the kitchen. Cooking for what she wanted, her dreams for her restaurant. It’s like, if you work and put in the time and be a kind person, you can really do anything you put your mind too. I think there’s a similar message in The Little Mermaid that Ariel has and I hope that you all can see that and be inspired to go after what you want.”

When asked what the best piece of advice they received from a woman role model, Jacob Tremblay, who voiced Flounder said: “For me, it’s gonna be my Mom and I wouldn’t say it’s a specific piece of advice she’s given me, but over the years she’s really been there for me and made sure I feel free and can be myself, and I can pursue the passions I wanna pursue in filmmaking.”

Daveed Diggs, who voiced Sebastian, shared wisdom from a female director he’s worked with previously: “She was the first person to tell me that when I’m performing, I get to bring my whole self to it. Everything that you are, you get to bring it to every role. I think about that almost every day.”

Eleanor and Naomi also gifted the stars a special Girlguiding The Little Mermaid badge, created to celebrate the film's release.

Halle was so taken with her badge, she said: “Wow, that’s gonna make me cry!”

Eleanor, 8-year-old Brownie, said: “I loved meeting all the stars from the film – it was such a fun day. My favourite character from the movie was Ursula – she was a bit scary, but I loved her songs!”

As part of their ongoing partnership with ODEON, Girlguiding members will have the chance to attend exclusive mass-screening events at ODEON cinemas across the UK in June. Girlguiding and ODEON have been working together for the past six years, providing unique experiences for girls across the UK.

For more information about joining Girlguiding, the UK’s largest youth organisation dedicated completely to girls, visit www.girlguiding.org.uk.