MerPeople sees Oscar-winning director Cynthia Wade diving into the underwater world of professional mermaiding.
Described as "both impossibly charming and nail-bitingly intense", MerPeople is a four-part Netflix docuseries that brings us right into the heart of this half-billion-dollar industry.
In the show, we're introduced to a number of professional mermaids from all walks of life who are making waves at various points in their careers as underwater performers.
If you're interested in learning about the mermaiding community, you can find out some more info about the stars that make up the main MerPeople cast below.
Meet the MerPeople cast: Mermaid Sparkles
Brittany "Sparkles" Mermaid is one of the first people we're introduced to in the show. A self-described "landlocked" mermaid from Little Rock, Arkansas, she is trying her hardest to realize her dreams and improve her skills as a professional mermaid whilst also waiting tables in between working gigs at kids birthday parties.
“I wanted to show the world how hard it can be,” Sparkles told Tudum, “But also how much life it brings to myself and to others. When you have a big goal and a passion in life that drives you and lights your heart and soul on fire, that’s worth fighting for.”
Mermaid Morgana
Morgana Alba is the leader of one of the USA's most prestigious mermaiding troupes, and she runs MerMagic Con, a conversation for mermaids from all kinds of backgrounds.
As a circus artist, she added mermaiding to her repertoire and soon found she had more bookings for it than any others. She went on to found the Circus Siren Pod, a group who have very rigorous training standards and a high bar for entry.
Mermaid Chè Monique
Chè Monique is a plus-size mermaid who is known as the creator of The Society of Fat Mermaids, a size-inclusive community of mermaiders based in Virginia that is growing rapidly and making an impact across the industry.
"When I first started, it was hard to find tails that went beyond a 1X. They’re usually made out of a four-way stretch fabric, so I could fit into those. I have seen multiple tail-makers expand their sizing since the Society at Fat Mermaids has popped up", she told Tudum.
She's in the process of launching an online mermaiding school where students can learn some of the basics of underwater performing.
Eric Ducharme, 'The Mertailor'
Eric lays his ambition bare in MerPeople's very first episode: as The Mertailor, he wants to be the biggest mermaid tail-maker in the entire world. Inspired by a visit to the underwater theater at Florida's Weeki Wachee Springs at just three years old, Eric developed his passion for mermaids.
Along with becoming a professional mermaid himself, he also owns and operates his own mermaid tail-making business and runs his own mermaid encounter aquarium where fans of all ages can watch daily mermaid shows.
The Blixunami
Nonbinary mermaid The Blixunami (aka Eric Milligan) doesn't view mermaiding as a hobby, but as a lifestyle. "This is 24/7, 365 for me", they told Netflix. "This is all day, every day. It;s like I breathe, sleep and eat [being a mermaid]."
The Blixunami's part in the show sees them growing their career by creating art and sharing it with others—"I'm the first merperson with music out" they proudly say in episode two—and they're all about entertaining and showing that mermaiding is for everyone.
Who else features in MerPeople?
These are just some of the professional merfolk that you'll meet in MerPeople. Some of the other mermaids that appear include:
- Tristan McDonald, the Red River Merman
- Hannah Fraser, aka Hannah Mermaid
- Andrew Corter, aka Merman Andrew
- Cara Nicole Neo, aka Syrena The Singapore Mermaid
- Mermaid Kariel
MerPeople is available to stream right now, exclusively on Netflix.
