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.
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.
Clements and Musker disagreed with lyricist Howard Ashman about who should voice the character. While the directors had written the role with Bea Arthur in mind, Ashman intended to offer it to soap opera star Joan Collins; both actresses rejected the part.
The Little Mermaid director Rob Marshall reveals that a chance encounter at an awards show led to him casting Melissa McCarthy as the villainous Ursula in the upcoming live-action Disney remake. "It was really daunting to think about who was going to play this part," Marshall told Red Alert, via SFX.
Angelina Jordan I Put A Spell On You Vocal Coach Reacts
Was Ursula a drag queen?
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.
Halle Bailey was the first to audition for the beloved and coveted role of Ariel in Disney's live-action “The Little Mermaid.” After Bailey belted out the classic showstopper “Part of Your World” from the original 1989 film, director Rob Marshall and the other filmmakers knew that she was the one for the role.
Ursula: [singing] If you want to cross a bridge, my sweet / You've got to pay the toll / Take a gulp and take a breath and go ahead and sign the scroll! / Flotsam, Jetsam, now I've got her, boys / The boss is on a roll / This poor unfortunate soul!
Lizzo Reflects on Her 'Terrible' Audition for 'The Little Mermaid' Remake: 'I Was Down to Make Ursula a THOT' "The singing was great. I'll just say that," the singer shared of going for the role.
Director Rob Marshall had auditioned the crème de la crème of young Hollywood for the role, and even Zendaya was rumored to have read for the part. But it was movie newcomer Bailey who won the coveted lead.
In The Little Mermaid remake, Jessica Alexander plays Ursula's human form Vanessa who may look innocent on the outside, but she also seems a little peculiar. Jessica Alexander is an English actress and model who first gained recognition for her role in BBC series Get Even.
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."
She is a slim woman with an hourglass figure, and in many respects resembles Ariel (it is believed that this was deliberate, to fit in with Eric's hazy recollections of the woman on the beach). Vanessa and Ariel wear their hair in the same style, have nearly identical facial structures, and comparable body types.
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.
[The Little Mermaid] (1989): Ursula's pseudonym, Vanessa, was an intentional reference. "Vanessa" was a name made up by Jonathan Swift (that's not an important part) for a character based on a woman named Esther Vanhomrigh, "Van" from her surname and "Essa" being a then-common pet name form of Esther.
In addition to being the god of the sea, Once's Poseidon is also the father of Merrin Dungey's Ursula, a concept omitted from Disney's The Little Mermaid in 1989, though later included in the Broadway musical.
Why did Halle Bailey audition for The Little Mermaid?
In 2019 her agent told her that, after seeing her perform at the Grammys, director Rob Marshall wanted her to audition. Bailey figured the part was “one of the sisters or something like that,” she tells Glamour exclusively.
Jodi Benson was the voice of Ariel in Disney's animated 1989 “Little Mermaid” classic. Starting in 2019, when Halle Bailey was cast in the live-action version, Benson has been nothing but supportive of the 23-year-old being “part of her world.”
How much did Halle Bailey get paid for The Little Mermaid?
It's believed that Bailey made about $1.5 million for her role as Ariel in The Little Mermaid, but that number could increase depending on how well the film performs opening weekend and beyond.
While the original, animated Ursula was inspired by a drag queen named Divine, according to the film's animators, McCarthy's version of the character was styled differently. Because the character is a villain, the makeup artist told Johnson that he didn't want McCarthy to look like a drag queen.
What is the makeup controversy on The Little Mermaid?
Back in May, Walt Disney Studios posted a behind-the-scenes video of Peter King doing McCarthy's makeup for the role on Twitter. Reactions were largely negative. “We said Ursula was inspired by a drag queen we didn't mean one who had only been doing it for 3 months,” wrote drag queen Sierra La Puerta.
