Popular on Variety As part of her new Variety cover story, Lizzo reflected on auditioning for “The Little Mermaid” and losing out on her chance to play Ursula. “Everyone knows I auditioned for Ursula in [Disney's upcoming live-action] 'The Little Mermaid,' and I didn't get it.
1. Lizzo showcased her audition for The Little Mermaid's Ursula in a since-privated viral video. She didn't get the part, but she "was down to make Ursula a THOT, shaking ass." The role went to Melissa McCarthy, whom Lizzo met during a taping of Adele's "One Night Only" concert.
The Ursula we know (and fear) was almost not. Disney worked through several versions of “The Little Mermaid's” antagonist, from trying to cast Bea Arthur, Joan Collins and Broadway star Elaine Stritch to voice the villain to considering her form to a shark.
The actress was especially drawn to the role of Ursula the sea witch. "I loved her so much. She's such a broad, I just wanted to have a drink with her," McCarthy says. "And yes, she's the villain, but I was like, I think I get her.
Lizzo's Audition To Play Ursula In 'The Little Mermaid' Reboot Has All The Juice!
Why was Ursula kicked out?
When Ursula and Triton's father died, the pair were given equal share of the sea plus two magical items. Triton received the trident while Ursula received the magic Nautilus shell. Though the two were meant to rule the seas together, Ursula's greed and use of dark magic to usurp Triton led to her being banished.
The original character in the 1989 movie was inspired by the triple threat drag queen, actor, and singer Divine, a fact that was mere speculation at first, but has since been confirmed by those involved with the film. Divine catapulted to cult fame after appearing in Pink Flamingos, John Waters' filthy 1972 comedy.
Disney's live-action “The Little Mermaid” had “no agenda” when it came to the casting of Ariel, director Rob Marshall told Entertainment Weekly. The “Chicago” and “Into the Woods” director said his team auditioned “every ethnicity” for the role before landing on singer Halle Bailey.
Singer Lizzo auditioned and campaigned for the role of Ursula. She even dressed like Ursula and sang "Poor Unfortunate Souls" on her Instagram page, but ultimately Melissa McCarthy got the role. Later, Lizzo and McCarthy met at an event and they discussed the audition.
Why did Chloe Grace Moretz drop out of The Little Mermaid?
“I pulled the plug on all my movies because I want to reassess who I am and find myself within my roles again,” said Moretz. “I'm realizing that I can slow down.”
Director Rob Marshall reveals what it was like seeing Halle Bailey's initial audition for Ariel. “The first actor we saw for this role was Halle. The first thing she did is she came in and sang for us. She shut her eyes and started to sing the song.
While it is known that her mother perished, there is no story attached to the event. However, much later, in 2008, an animated The Little Mermaid prequel revealed that Ariel's mother was crushed by a pirate ship during an altercation between humans and merpeople.
Rather, Ursula's appearance is radically different from her family, and she sports tentacles that look like a permanent black dress. It's possible Ursula is not a mermaid in appearance because she and Triton did not have the same mother or father. If they're half siblings, Ursula's tentacles make more sense.
Meet Jessica Alexander, The Little Mermaid's breakout star: the bisexual Gen Z actress plays Ursula's human incarnate for 6 minutes in the Disney film, and sticks up for co-star Halle Bailey.
Did Queen Latifah play Ursula in The Little Mermaid?
Queen Latifah portrayed the singing sea witch, voiced by Pat Carroll in the animated film and previously played onstage by Rebel Wilson, Harvey Fierstein and Sherie Rene Scott.
Only during the cocktail party on the balcony, do we actually hear Vanessa's own voice, unconvincingly declaring that she doesn't consider herself "a hero" for rescuing Eric. Mostly, her mouth is filled with either Ariel's singing or Ursula's monologuing, yet Vanessa still feels like she has a life of her own.
While a crucial role in the film's plot, Marshall explained why they chose to go with a relatively unknown actor. "I really didn't want to do too many stunt [castings]," he said. "We already had Melissa McCarthy playing Ursula, so to have another well-known person playing her as Vanessa just felt weird."
Fellow Disney (and Spider-Man: Far From Home and Euphoria) star Zendaya, who was once rumored to play Ariel, tweeted the casting news saying that she's here for it. And Bailey herself, from her music group's account, tweeted that the chance to play Ariel is a dream come true.
Zendaya Says Her Reported Casting in The Little Mermaid Is Still "Just a Rumor" Make this happen, Hollywood. Rumors that Zendaya will play Ariel in Disney's long-awaited live-action version of The Little Mermaid have been swirling for some time, with some outlets reporting that she was offered the role in August.
Before Bailey's casting was confirmed, rumors floated around for months that Zendaya was in the running for Ariel. While she later denied any talks took place with Disney, she did admit that the role was appealing.
According to animator Rob Minkoff, Ursula was originally described in the script as a Joan Collins–like figure, resulting in character designs that depicted a thin, bony woman with lionfish- or manta ray–inspired features.
In the stage version, that was the planned reason for Triton banishing her. However, the musical was later reinvented by Glenn Casale, who made Ursula and Triton the seventh and eighth of eight siblings, with Ursula killing their older siblings until she became Queen, but she forgot to get rid of Triton.
Ursula is a feminine name of Latin origin, imploring caution against quick assumptions. Translated from the Latin ursa, Ursela means "little she-bear"—adding a notable vulnerability to an otherwise ferocious being.
