All About Jonah Hauer-King, the Actor Playing Prince Eric in 'The Little Mermaid'

Jonah Hauer-King is far from being a poor, unfortunate soul.

The relative newcomer scored the role of Prince Eric in the live-action reimagining of The Little Mermaid opposite Halle Bailey's Ariel. Hauer-King serves as the movie-musical's primary love interest — a role Harry Styles reportedly passed on.

Hauer-King's casting marks a big-screen milestone for the actor, best known until now for his supporting work on TV. His undersea costars include big names like Melissa McCarthy, Javier Bardem and Jacob Tremblay.

In May 2023, Hauer-King celebrated the film's release by posting behind-the-scene photos on Instagram. "the Little Mermaid is out…. 🧜🏾‍♀️🌊🦀," he wrote in the caption. "hundreds (thousands?) of incredible people worked on this film, throughout the height of covid. Very proud of them all and what they achieved."

Here's everything to know about Jonah Hauer-King.

He was born and raised in London

As a dual citizen of the U.K. and U.S., Hauer-King grew up in London with two older sisters. Raised by parents native to both countries — Debra Hauer, an American theater producer, and Jeremy King, a British restauranteur — the actor says he feels attached to both parts of the globe.

"Being American is definitely part of my identity," he told Show Patrol in May 2018. "I feel in some ways very English, but I've also spent a lot of time in America and feel like that's part of myself."

Hauer-King, who graduated from Cambridge University in 2017 with a degree in theology and religious studies, points to his upbringing, outnumbered in his family by women, as a reason he comfortably works alongside and develops lasting friendships with his female costars (more on that later).

"I grew up in a household with a mom and two older sisters who treated me with a lot of kindness and cruelty in equal measure," he joked to the outlet.

And for those wondering which accent he adopted between his two home countries, you'll be pleased to hear he speaks with a charming British intonation.

He's been interested in acting since an early age

As a child, Hauer-King would take regular trips to the theater with his producer mother, where an interest in acting dawned on him. His draw to performing followed him into daily life, and he even cited working restaurant jobs as a form of acting. He explained to The Evening Standard, "It's great for people watching and performance, because you're reacting to a table: if they're up for a good night, you're helping them along on that energy, if they're in a foul mood you're trying to take the sting out of that."

It wasn't until a school performance at Edinburgh Fringe that Hauer-King considered acting could be a day job. By a stroke of a little luck and a lot of talent, it was then that his now-agent spotted him.

He's held roles in television and film

Hauer-King isn't totally new to the acting world. In fact, he has worked with such movie stars as Ashley Judd, Bryce Dallas Howard, Clive Owen and Helen Hunt, to name a few.

He's now shared the screen with creatures of the sea, plus, Hauer-King led the cast of A Dog's Way Home (2019), where he worked with an adorable, four-legged costar.

"I wasn't really sure what to expect, but she's kind of the dream dog," he told InqPOP of working with Shelby, the rescue dog that played Bella in the film. "She's kind, loving and warm. It was fascinating to learn how the trainers work with her, but more than anything else, it was a joy."

On the small screen, Hauer-King has starred in several period pieces, including a BBC retelling of Howards End and a WWII drama World on Fire.

While waiting for The Little Mermaid to hit the big screen, the actor appeared in the TV movie Agatha and the Curse of Ishtar (2019), and the 2021 Naomi Watts family drama, This Is The Night (Once Upon a Time in Staten Island).

With a number of period dramas under his belt, the actor looks forward to expanding his range in more contemporary roles.

"It's been nice to have a lot of variety. That's what keeps it exciting," he told the U.K. outlet, The List.

He’s friends with many of his costars — including Maya Hawke

The young actor is perhaps best known for his performance in PBS's Little Women in 2017, where he struck up friendships with other young actors, namely Stranger Things' Maya Hawke, Big Little Lies' Kathryn Newton and The Goldfinch's Willa Fitzgerald.

In the limited series, Hauer-King played Laurie — a role subsequently filled by Timothée Chalamet in the 2019 iteration of the story.

After production ended on Little Women, Hauer-King continued sharing photos of himself hanging out with his former castmates, as they did in return. In a birthday tribute, Hawke posted a picture with the actor captioned, "birthday 🖤 boy."

He can sing

An iconic role like Prince Eric requires someone with a serious vocal range — especially opposite Halle Bailey, who makes up half of the sister singing duo Chloe x Halle.

The actor also has soundtrack credits on Little Women and Postcards from London, plus one archival YouTube clip shows the star covering Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah," strumming a guitar on the stirring take on the song.