Halle Bailey has praised Melissa McCarthy for teaching her to "own" her power on set.

The singer/actress plays the titular character in Disney's upcoming live-action The Little Mermaid, with the Bridesmaids star portraying sea witch Ursula.

Reflecting on what it was like to work with Melissa on the production during an interview for the summer 2023 issue of V magazine, Halle described her co-star as "wonderful" and "so commanding".

"(Melissa) was not afraid to speak up. I just remember looking at her and being like, 'You can do that, too!' I just had this epiphany moment, and slowly started coming out of my own shell," she said. "I started owning my power and knowing that I, as a woman, have that is a really beautiful thing. And I remember seeing that from her."

In addition, Halle recalled how she learned a lot about herself in the process of playing the mermaid Ariel, as she didn't have any dialogue for the first half of the feature.

"Half the film, I don't have a voice, so that really taught me a lot about patience. But then also how important it is when you have your voice and what to do with it. So I feel like there were all these little nuggets (of knowledge) that I got out of it, but it really was about the development of who I can be, who I see for myself, and what I see for my future as a young woman," the 23-year-old added.

The Little Mermaid is set to open in cinemas on 26 May.