To know Halle Bailey is to love her and the other day we got to know and love her even more as she spilled the tea on her career in an episode of The Breakdown. The gorgeous singer and actor talked about her journey, from her singing cover at only 11 years old (that led to getting discovered) to being thrown into the acting world with ‘The Little Mermaid’. Watch along to learn her favorite thing in the world, and see some behind-the-scenes footage of her shoot for Cosmopolitan magazine and her many amazing projects inside….
On being in love for the first time and how it’s been an inspiration for her music: “All musical inspiration really just comes from life experiences. Love has been a really big one for me too, because that’s something I’m experiencing for the first time, and it’s, like, ‘whoa’ in your brain. It’s just fireworks, a spark for creativity. You know, you have puppy love experiences, you think that’s love. But this is my first deep, deep, real love.”
On not feeling boxed into a Disney Princess image: “My main goal has always been to stay true to myself. There’s so much more to being a young woman than this fairy-tale character. I think other people have a hard time separating who Halle is and who a princess is—and that’s natural when you’re a fan of an artist. But it’s a beautiful thing to be a layered individual and not fit into one certain image.”
On her upcoming film, The Color Purple: “With The Color Purple, I was more than excited to join, especially hearing that it would be a beautiful musical adaptation where I get to incorporate my love of music. I actually got to write an original song for the film as well, so I just can’t wait. It’s just a combination of all the things that I love and the stories that matter so much to us.”
On the all-star cast of The Color Purple: “It was beautifully Blackity Black. Set was like going to a cookout—it felt like a family reunion, honestly, like you’re surrounded by your aunties and cousins. I was just excited to be there as a fan of everyone. The movie is a labor of love. I mean, we all care so much about the original story and really wanted to do a good job with this reimagining. People are going to lose their minds over Fantasia’s and Taraji’s performances. I get chills just thinking about it.”
On what she hopes audiences take from The Color Purple: “The reason I wanted to do it—and the reason I felt connected to it—is that it’s about the beautiful bond of sisterhood. What it means when you’re away from each other and how heartbreaking that is but also how special the moments you have together are. I could pull from my own experience with my sister, who’s my angel and my best friend. I couldn’t imagine what it would be like if we were separated in the way Nettie and Celie were.”
Read full interview here
Loewe coat. Casadei heels. Jennifer Fisher hoops. Jacquie Aiche necklace and ring.
[Photo Credit: Lenne Chai for Cosmopolitan Magazine]
