Disney’s investment in the live-action The Little Mermaidis 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. 

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Obviously, those efforts have paid off. The Little Mermaid brought in a record-breaking $118.6 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 continued to rise, grossing $569 million worldwide during its run.

It was speculated that it would 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. Although it didn’t beat them out, it still was able to make a pretty penny.

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. 

Did Halle Bailey make over a million dollars from 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. 

Why Halle Bailey’s paycheck for The Little Mermaid matters

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. There have been few instances in the last decade where an actor has been attacked so viciously for being cast in a role. Bailey handled it like a champ and managed to remain graceful through it all.

However, to say she wasn’t worth every penny would be the misjudgment of the century; she was born to be a star. Her acting skills and unbelievable singing abilities made her just the right choice for this part, and people showed up in droves to show their support for her. Something tells us $1.5 million is just the start of her lucrative career in Hollywood.