Peter Pan & Wendy star Yara Shahidi has spoken out about the reaction members of the public have had to her and Halle Bailey being cast as Tinker Bell and Ariel.
The two actors, who have previously starred in Grown-ish, have made history as they became the first Black women to play Tinker Bell and Ariel in onscreen roles.
Disney fans have recently had a better look at both of the stars in action as a teaser trailer for Peter Pan & Wendy was released earlier this month, while the first full-length trailer for The Little Mermaid arrived on Sunday with Bailey in character as Ariel.
Shahidi shared her excitement for being cast in the role of Tinker Bell as she spoke with The Hollywood Reporter this week, when she also showed her support for former co-star as she said she's' so excited to watch Halle onscreen'.
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"If there’s anybody that is a princess just in real life, in the world, it’s Halle,” Shahidi continued, adding that seeing Halle in the role of Ariel 'made so much sense'.
Millions of Disney fans are excited to see both Halle and Shahidi in action on the big screen, but Shahidi acknowledged they have both also received racist backlash from people who couldn't comprehend the thought of entirely fictional creatures being anything but white.
Last month, Bailey told The Face she wasn't surprised at the reaction, saying: “As a Black person, you just expect it and it’s not really a shock anymore."
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Bailey described ignoring social media and instead focusing on the excitement of the role, while Shahidi has also been able to recognise the positives that have come from her casting as she commented: "What’s been beautiful is seeing the response to both of our characters and seeing how many people feel included in this fairy tale, while also maintaining the magic that we love in the first place.
“I think oftentimes people think of diversity and inclusion as threatening or jeopardizing the quality of the story, instead of seeing how beautifully they can be interwoven together to create something that impacts even more people, that lets even more people into stories that we love.”
We'll be able to see Shahidi in action when Peter Pan & Wendy debuts on 28 April on Disney+, with Jude Law, Alexander Molony, Ever Anderson, Alan Tudyk and Jim Gaffigan among those joining Shahidi in the film.
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We'll have to wait a little bit longer for The Little Mermaid, which is set to arrive in theatres on 26 May and co-stars Melissa McCarthy, Awkwafina, Daveed Diggs, Javier Bardem and Jonah Hauer-King.
Topics: Film and TV, Celebrity, Disney
Emily Brown