Remember back at Comic-Con when it was hinted that Ariel from The Little Mermaid would be making an appearance? Well now it’s a certainty.
Ew is reporting that JoAnna Garcia Swisher, who many will remember as Bree Buckley from Gossip Girl and Cheyenne Hart-Montgomery from Reba will be taking on the role of Ariel. Garcia Swisher is a fan favorite no matter what franchise she is in. Some viewers may even recognize her back from her Party of Five days.
Since Once Upon a Time is known for turning Disney mythology on its head, there’s no certainty that there will be a Prince Eric or Ursula the Sea Witch to join her. Though, it might be fun to have a human Sebastian or Flounder running about.
Garcia Swisher is no stranger to the Disney company, according to The Bleacher Report, Disney kick started her career. “She was first discovered at age 10 by the Disney Channel, but her parents put school first.”
Garcia Swisher has been pretty busy lately, she is a new mom to daughter Emerson Jay Swisher. She’s married to former New York Yankees and current Cleveland Indians first-baseman, Nick Swisher.
Fans who have been critical of Once Upon A Time’s lack of diversity, will be happy to note that Garica Swisher is a proud Cuban-America who stated back in 2010
I’m so proud of my heritage and where I’ve come from, and being a Latin girl is a huge part of my life. I speak Spanish; half of my family doesn’t speak English. Our traditions are based and are influenced tremendously by my Latin Heritage, and I’m proud to be Cuban American.
News of Garcia Swisher’s casting comes on the heels of showrunner Eddie Kitsis stating today that the magic mirror will be back after having been gone all last season.
