Video: Original LITTLE MERMAID Star Jodi Benson Praises Halle Bailey at LA Premiere

Jodi Benson, the original voice of Ariel in Disney's 1989 animated version of The Little Mermaid, praised the live-action film's star, Halle Bailey, at last night's LA premiere.

Ahead of its May 26 debut in theaters, Disney hosted the first public screening of The Little Mermaid last night in Hollywood. Check out first social media reactions to the film here.

As the stars of the new film attended the blue carpet event, cameras caught a sweet moment between Benson and Bailey embracing. Watch the TikTok video! Plus, hear what Benson had to say about her first meetings with Bailey.

"She doesn't need any advice from me. She's brilliant. I did get to meet her a few times and get to chat with her and just to tell her how proud I was of her," Benson shared in an interview with ET.

Watch the full interview clip here:

The Little Mermaid is the beloved story of Ariel, a beautiful and spirited young mermaid with a thirst for adventure. The youngest of King Triton's daughters and the most defiant, Ariel longs to find out more about the world beyond the sea and, while visiting the surface, falls for the dashing Prince Eric.

While mermaids are forbidden to interact with humans, Ariel must follow her heart. She makes a deal with the evil sea witch, Ursula, which gives her a chance to experience life on land but ultimately places her life - and her father's crown - in jeopardy.

Halle Bailey stars as Ariel in Disney's new live-action reimagining of The Little Mermaid. Joining her in the film is Melissa McCarthy as Ursula, Daveed Diggs as Sebastian, Awkwafina as Scuttle, Javier Bardem as King Triton, Jacob Tremblay as Flounder, Noma Dumezweni as Queen Selina, and Jonah Hauer-King as Prince Eric.

Lin-Manuel Miranda joins Alan Menken to contribute new lyrics to the beloved songs from the film, which feature "Part of Your World," "Under the Sea," "Poor Unfortunate Souls," plus three new songs written for the live-action version. The soundtrack will be available on May 19 and is available to pre-order and pre-save here.

Watch an emotional moment between Jodi Benson and Halle Bailey at The Little Mermaid premiere here: