Ariel's striking red hair in Disney's The Little Mermaid was chosen to distinguish her from Splash's Daryl Hannah, although it terrified toymakers. Ariel's red hair in The Little Mermaid is iconic, but did you ever wonder why her hair is that exact shade of siren? There's actually a fascinating story behind the hair color choice. Disney's animators originally wanted Ariel to be a blonde, but they ended up making her a redhead so she wouldn't look too similar to the mermaid, played by Daryl Hannah, in the film Splash, which was wildly.
Fire Engine Red Ariel One other place Ariel's hair color didn't really translate was in the Disney theme parks. In 1989, the year the film was released, her character was seen with light orange/strawberry blonde hair. Of course, people loved the movie and Ariel, and viewers expected the dolls and the character actors to match the movie.
Ultimately, though, Ariel's red hair was selected However, as Oh My Disney reports, "While they originally wanted Ariel to be a blonde, some thought it was too similar to Hannah's character. If you want to know why Ariel's hair is red in The Little Mermaid, we have the right answer. Read on to see why Disney's creators picked the fiery red hue.
The Little Mermaid Hair Dept. Head Camille Friends shares secrets from and how her team created Ariel's iconic red hair for the film. Ariel is one of Disney's most iconic animated characters, and her specific color combination of red hair, lavender sea shells and green tail make her distinctly identifiable.
Why Change Ariel's Hair Color? Casting a Black actress as Ariel has naturally sparked questions about how she will look in the live-action remake. Halle Bailey has dark brown hair, so keeping Ariel's hair bright red does not seem realistic or natural. Ariel was far from the first doll to sport red hair.
The "Little Mermaid" hairstylist Camille Friend shares how they created the style, chose the color, and managed under.