People.com Entertainment Movies Chloe Bailey Was 'Screaming and Crying' When Sister Halle Was Cast as Ariel in 'Little Mermaid' R&B singer Halle Bailey was announced as the star of Disney's upcoming live-action remake of The Little Mermaid in early July, "after an extensive search" By Jen Juneau Jen Juneau Twitter Jen Juneau is a digital news writer for PEOPLE. A '90s teen and horror film connoisseur, she started at the brand in 2016, after a decade of working as a technical writer and then moonlighting as a journalist beginning in 2013. Originally from New Orleans, Jen grew up both in NOLA and Florida and eventually attended the University of Central Florida in Orlando (still her home base!), where she earned a bachelor's in English/technical communication, with a minor in magazine journalism. People Editorial Guidelines and Brianne Tracy Brianne Tracy Instagram Twitter Brianne Tracy is a staff writer on the PEOPLE music team. She has been with the brand since starting as an intern nearly six years ago, covering all things entertainment across print and digital platforms. She earned her Bachelors in Broadcast Journalism at the University of Southern California and has been seen on Good Morning America. People Editorial Guidelines Published on August 7, 2019 09:15 AM Share Tweet Pin Email Halle Bailey just landed the role of the lifetime — and her sister Chloe Bailey couldn’t be prouder. Speaking with PEOPLE on Tuesday at Variety‘s Power of Young Hollywood event in Los Angeles, the Chloe x Halle singers and Grown-ish actresses raved about 19-year-old Halle’s upcoming turn as Ariel in Disney’s live-action remake of the 1989 animated classic The Little Mermaid. When asked whether she was proud about her younger sister landing the coveted role, Chloe, 21, told PEOPLE, “Heck yeah! I was more than proud. I was screaming and crying. She worked so hard.” “My sister is my inspiration, my role model and my everything in every part of life,” Halle chimed in. “I’m so happy to be on this journey with her and that we get to experience life together.” John Salangsang/Variety/Shutterstock Moviestore/REX/Shutterstock Halle Bailey. Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Disney’s Original Ariel Reacts to Halle Bailey Being Cast in Live-Action The Little Mermaid As far as Ariel’s love interest Prince Eric goes, there have been many of casting rumors floating around — including about Harry Styles, who was reportedly in talks for the role as recently as last month. “I think anybody could do a wonderful job with the role,” Halle told PEOPLE when asked about the rumors. “I’m so blessed to be a part of such a beautiful project.” The talented sisters also chatted with Entertainment Tonight about Halle’s newest onscreen venture, where the latter said it “means so much” to her and she feels “very honored and really grateful for the opportunity.” “Ariel was one of my favorite princesses growing up so it’s a dream come true,” Halle told the outlet. “I’m very excited and happy.” Jamie McCarthy/Getty; Buena Vista Pictures/Everett RELATED VIDEO: The Little Mermaid Live: 5 Must-Watch Highlights from Inside the Hollywood Bowl Halle was announced as Ariel in early July via a statement from the film’s director Rob Marshall, who said, “After an extensive search, it was abundantly clear that Halle possesses that rare combination of spirit, heart, youth, innocence, and substance — plus a glorious singing voice — all intrinsic qualities necessary to play this iconic role.” Bailey expressed her excitement for her new role with a post on Twitter after her casting was revealed by Disney, tweeting, “Dream come true … ” alongside an image of an Indian-American Ariel singing “Part of Your World” while waves crashed behind her. Awkwafina and Jacob Tremblay are in talks to star as Scuttle and Flounder, respectively. Melissa McCarthy is also in talks to star as the sea witch Ursula.