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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
what makes Ursula black? She was based of Divine, who is white She was voiced by a white woman When she takes human form she's white," yet another well-versed Little Mermaid fan noted. "She was originally meant to be King Tryton's sister, and [he's] white."
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.
According to the Disney Blog: "Designed and carefully crafted to capture the essence of evil at its best dressed, the Villains Designer Collection re-imagines the stylish wickedness of classic Disney Villains." Apparently part of this "re-imagination" involves making Ursula lose two-thirds of her body weight.
"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."
How much did Halle Bailey make for Little Mermaid?
According to Showbiz Galore, she was reportedly paid $1.5 million to don the tail and seashells, though some news outlets reported slightly more modest earnings of $500,000. Despite the online backlash about casting a Black Ariel, this project made Halle Bailey a household name, especially among young Disney fans.
When it was announced that Halle Bailey would be taking on the role of Ariel in The Little Mermaid, there were some people a little confused and instead were under the impression that it was actually Oscar-winning actress Halle Berrywho had been cast.
