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.
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.
The Little Mermaid 2023 Making of & Behind the Scenes
Did Lizzo audition for Ursula?
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.
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.
She said she went in thinking, "I have to try to sing perfectly," a mindset she had to overcome to get comfortable with the character. Her vocal coach challenged her perfectionist attitude bluntly, she said. "It was really once he's like, 'You can't. You're not going to do that.
With Ursula's original design inspired by the famous drag queen Divine, McCarthy's experience as a drag queen provides the actor with another key qualifier for the role.
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.
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.
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.
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."
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.
Did Melissa McCarthy do her own singing in Little Mermaid?
"Getting to sing 'Poor Unfortunate Souls,' I mean, it is a fever dream," McCarthy says in the clip. "I went to rehearsals for months and months, and I wanted to do that music and the character proud." The A-list star suggests that her character may have missed her calling as a sultry chanteuse.
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.
Melissa McCarthy, who played the devious Ursula in the live-action, made $500,000 for her work in the film. Other cast members received more modest salaries for their supporting roles.
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!
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.”
A live-action remake of Disney's 1989 movie "The Little Mermaid" was released on Friday. Rob Marshall directs and actor and singer Halle Bailey stars as Ariel. Melissa McCarthy portrays Ursula and Awkwafina voices Scuttle the seagull.
