Forgot password
Enter the email address you used when you joined and we'll send you instructions to reset your password.
If you used Apple or Google to create your account, this process will create a password for your existing account.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Reset password instructions sent. If you have an account with us, you will receive an email within a few minutes.
Something went wrong. Try again or contact support if the problem persists.
Jonah Hauer-King as Prince Eric in The Little Mermaid
Photo via Giles Keyte/Walt Disney Pictures

‘I feel so trained’: Jonah Hauer-King reveals the whopping 5 training classes he faced in preparation for Prince Eric in ‘The Little Mermaid’

Harry Styles would not have been able to pull all that off and release a Grammy Award-winning album, that's for sure.

A live-action adaptation of Disney’s The Little Mermaid was never going to be easy, but the latest behind-the-scenes footage for the movie shows just how challenging it was for Prince Eric actor Jonah Hauer-King to bring his charming character to life.

Recommended Videos

Prince Eric, as we know, has a passion for sailing. Hauer-King by extension must also be able to convince us he knows what he’s doing on a boat. Enter: Boat training. Since his character also gets tossed off of more than one boat in the movie, Hauer-King was also privy to some proper stunt training. Then, of course, there was voice training (because you can’t have a Disney prince without a set of silky smooth pipes) and dog training because making a Little Mermaid movie without Max is blasphemous. Oh, and gym training because — hello! — this is a Disney prince we’re talking about. 

All in all, Hauer-King underwent a whopping five training classes to bring us the Prince Eric of our dreams. That’s Disney dedication at its finest, folks. 

“There was a lot of training to play the characters. There was stunt training, boat training, voice training, dog training, gym training. I just — I feel so trained!”

One of the many classes Hauer-King did not have to participate in was dialect training, as the English actor already sports the swoon-worthy accent needed to pull off the hopeless romantic’s intonation. Although he’s been in a number of films in the past (A Dog’s Way Home, This Is the Night) The Little Mermaid is by far his biggest role to date. 

Early discussion over who would play the part of Prince Eric originally included rockstar and universal heartthrob Harry Styles, however, Styles eventually turned down the part to focus his energy on music (which was a smart move given his dedicated attention gave birth to Harry’s House, which won Album Of The Year at the 2023 Grammys). 

Although the movie is embroiled in a heated debate over the quality of its CGI, the dimly lit scenes that make it hard to see, and racist backlash from so-called fans over Halle Bailey’s casting, The Little Mermaid is indeed one of the most anticipated films of 2023. Hauer-King, if he’s lucky, might be a part of the first Disney live-action remake to actually get it right. Now all that’s left to do is watch as the chips fall where they may.

The Little Mermaid makes its theatrical splash in theaters across the world on May 26. 


We Got This Covered is supported by our audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn a small affiliate commission. Learn more about our Affiliate Policy
Author
Image of Cody Raschella
Cody Raschella
Cody Raschella is a Staff Editor who has been with WGTC since 2021. He is a closeted Swiftie (shh), a proud ‘Drag Race’ fan (yas), and a hopeless optimist (he still has faith in the MCU). His passion for writing has carried him across various mediums including journalism, copywriting, and creative writing, the latter of which has been recognized by Writer’s Digest. He received his bachelor's degree from California State University, Northridge.