Who else was considered for Ursula in Little Mermaid?

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.
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Who else auditioned for Ursula?

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.
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Who else could have played Ursula?

Directors and writers John Musker and Ron Clements wanted Bea Arthur to voice Ursula as they had written the role for her, but her agent refused to present the script to the actress, while producer Howard Ashman tried and failed to get Joan Collins.
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Who wanted to be Ursula in The Little Mermaid?

Though Divine died a year before the original Little Mermaid came out, Schwarz and Waters agree that he unequivocally would have wanted to play Ursula in the live-action movie. “He didn't want an homage, he wanted to be it,” Schwarz says.
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Who auditioned for The Little Mermaid Ariel?

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.
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What was Ursula's Evil Plan? | Disney Princess

Did Zendaya audition for The Little Mermaid?

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.
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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.
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Why was Ursula not played by a drag queen?

Smith King said he intentionally did not want the actress to look like a drag queen, preferring to see more of McCarthy than of the makeup. Defending the uneven brows, he said he wanted it to look like Ursula did the makeup herself and did not have it done by a masterful professional.
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Is Ursula a drag queen?

Ursula was initially going to resemble Joan Collins, however, basing the character on Divine made much more sense. "It just seemed like a funny and quirky idea," Minkoff added, "to take [Ursula] and treat her more like a drag queen."
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Why did they cast Melissa McCarthy as Ursula?

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.
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Who auditioned for Ursula 2023?

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.
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Who plays human version of Ursula?

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.
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Who played Ursula with legs?

Melissa McCarthy proved she had the vocal chops for 'Poor Unfortunate Souls' Portraying Disney's new Ursula − who tricks Ariel into giving up her golden voice for human legs and feet to pursue her true love, Prince Eric − proved to be one of the hottest casting stories in Hollywood.
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Who originated the role of Ursula in The Little Mermaid on Broadway?

The role of Ursula was created on Broadway by Sherie Rene Scott.
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Did Melissa McCarthy audition for The Little Mermaid?

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.
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Why is Ursula skinny?

But in a desire to re-market these ladies to a chic clientele, it appears that they decided to shave more than a few pounds off of Ursula the Sea Witch and Alice in Wonderland's Queen of Hearts. Because in order to be fashionable, you must be thin. The fact is, Ursula was fashionable.
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Is Ursula Ariel's aunt?

10 Ursula Is Triton's Sister & Ariel's Aunt

In the 2023 film version of The Little Mermaid, Ursula is presented as being Triton's younger sister, who had been exiled from their underwater kingdom. This also makes Ursula Ariel's aunt, bringing to mind Disney's long line of wicked matriarchs.
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What happened to Ariel's mom?

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.
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Did Ursula have a daughter?

Meet Uma, fierce leader of the high seas, daughter of Ursula, the sea witch, and the newest villainess-in-training in Disney's Descendants 2!
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Did Disney recast Ariel?

Disney Had The Best Response To The Ariel Casting Backlash

The Little Mermaid casting backlash began as soon as Disney announced the role of Ariel went to Halle Bailey in 2019. While Disney didn't issue a response to the bigoted comments about Bailey's casting at the time, another Disney-owned company did.
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Is Lizzo The Little Mermaid?

The singing was great. I'll just say that.” The Little Mermaid won't feature Lizzo, but it will star Halle Bailey as Ariel, joined by a supporting cast that also features Javier Bardem, Daveed Diggs, Jacob Tremblay, and Awkwafina.
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Why did Ursula take mermaid voice?

The Little Mermaid

During the song "Poor Unfortunate Souls", Ursula asks Ariel for her voice, saying that men only want silent and obedient women, but secretly in an attempt to make sure Eric won't be able to recognize her or fall in love with her, to which Ariel agrees, and signs a contract.
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Who is the bird in Little Mermaid?

Scuttle had very iconic moments in the original Little Mermaid animation, from the coining of the "dinglehopper" to his role in Eric and Ariel's first boat ride; even so, the remake chose to revamp the Scuttle character and develop new iconic moments for the bird.
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Why did Disney choose Halle to be Ariel?

"When I chose Halle for the role, it was literally because she was the best person for the role," Marshall says. "It's about who claims a role, who brings a role to life in a way you could never have imagined."
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