How Much Did Halle Bailey Make For ‘The Little Mermaid?’

Disney’s investment in the live-action The Little Mermaid is nothing short of spectacular. From the lofty $250 million it reportedly spent to make the movie (not including marketing), to its star-studded cast, the studio quite literally tossed everything but the kitchen sink into this one. That includes Halle Bailey’s reportedly mind-boggling paycheck. 

Obviously, those efforts have paid off. The Little Mermaid brought in a record-breaking $117.5 million at the U.S. box office during its opening weekend, making it the fifth-highest opening for a Memorial Day weekend in history, according to Box Office Mojo. Those numbers have steadily risen, offering it a fighting chance to live at the top of Disney’s highest-earning live-action films, which include Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, and The Lion King, all of which grossed over a billion dollars globally. 

When you think about the $250 million the movie operated with, Bailey’s reportedly life-changing paycheck is merely a fraction of that. Still, that doesn’t make it any less staggering. 

Hailey Bailey was reportedly paid 25 times the average American’s salary for The Little Mermaid

The national average salary in America is $60,575 as of 2023, according to SoFi. Halle Bailey was reportedly paid 25 times that amount for starring as the red-headed mermaid Ariel in The Little Mermaid. The actress was compensated a whopping $1.5 million, according to Showbiz Galore. 

Bailey’s co-stars, while also compensated inarguably well, received far less. Jonah Hauer-King was reportedly paid $750,000 for his role as Prince Eric; Javier Bardem $700,000 for King Triton; and Melissa McCarthy $500,000 for Ursula. 

However, $1.5 million might as well be a speck of dirt when comparing it to the money actors like Tom Cruise, Will Smith, and Robert Downey Jr. made for their past movie roles ($100+ million, $100 million, and $75 million, respectively, according to Insider). Still, to forsake it as measly chump change is gauche and plays into the narrative that movie stars aren’t astronomically overpaid. 

But hey, we love to be entertained, and there’s no question Halle Bailey accomplished that task and then some. When you consider how much hate and vitriol she endured as a result of her becoming the first Black Ariel, one can’t help but wonder if Disney factored more than just hard work into her compensation. However, to say she wasn’t worth every penny would be the misjudgment of the century; she was born to be a star, and something tells me $1.5 million is just the start of her lucrative career in Hollywood.

About the author

Cody Raschella

Cody Raschella is a Staff Writer and occasional Editor who has been with WGTC since 2021. He is a closeted Swiftie (shh), a proud ‘Drag Race’ fan (yas), and a hopeless optimist (he still has faith in the MCU). His passion for writing has carried him across various mediums including journalism, copywriting, and creative writing, the latter of which has been recognized by Writer’s Digest. He received his bachelor’s degree from California State University, Northridge, which he has done absolutely nothing with ever since.