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.

Is Ursula based on a real person?

Ursula's character in The Little Mermaid was inspired by the drag queen Divine.

Who was Ursula inspired by?

Ursula's drag roots

Ultimately, the inspiration for the cauldron-stirring tentacled witch — voiced by Pat Carroll — came from an unlikely place: Drag. Specifically, Divine, the drag alter ego of Harris Glenn Milstead.

Who is Ursula in Greek mythology?

Ursula is based on the sea witch from The Little Mermaid. She is the daughter of Poseidon from Greek Mythology.

Who killed Ursula in the original Little Mermaid?

Ariel kills the Sea Witch at the end of the movie.

At the end of the 1989 animated film, Eric saves the day and kills Ursula. But in the new movie, Ariel is no longer the damsel in distress. She takes matters into her own hands and kills Ursula herself.

Disney Villain Ursula's True Origin Story Isn't What You Think

Is Ursula really Ariel's Aunt?

In the animated film, Ursula was a villain who enjoyed messing with people and getting what she wanted. In The Little Mermaid live-action, however, Ursula's backstory gets an adjustment — she is upgraded to Triton's sister and Ariel's aunt, making her revenge and motivations all the more sinister.

Why is Scuttle a girl?

Scuttle is not only changed from male to female but is also now a diving bird instead of a seagull. "This was done specifically so that Ariel would only meet Scuttle underwater, because, at the start of our story, Ariel has never dared go above the surface," director Rob Marshall said in production notes.

Did Ursula have a child?

Description. 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!

Did Ursula have a sister?

Morgana is a villainess who appears in The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea. She is the infamous younger sister of Ursula and the older sister of Ulyana, but Ursula is worse than Morgana.

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.

Who is Poseidon's daughter Ursula?

Ursula is also the only daughter and child of King Poseidon, god of the seas. She was based on the character of the same name and partially based on Ariel from the Disney film, The Little Mermaid and the Sea witch from the fairy tale "The Little Mermaid" by Hans Christian Anderson.

Who was Ursula before she was evil?

In this novel, Ursula is King Triton's younger sister who was betrayed by him as a child for choosing a tentacled form instead of a mermaid's tail, and grew up as a human in the town of Ipswich with an adoptive human father.

What was Ursula's fake name?

[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.

Why does Ursula want Ariel's 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.

Is Ursula Black in The Little Mermaid?

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."

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.

How old is Ariel?

While Ariel is 16 years old in Disney animated The Little Mermaid film, her love interest is not the same age. The character's voice actor, Christopher Daniel Barnes, was just 16 years old at the time of recording the film, leading to the assumption that the character was intended to be the same age.

Why was Ursula named Ursula?

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.

Is Poseidon Ursula's dad?

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.

Who is older Triton or Ursula?

Melissa McCarthy's version of Ursula is revealed to be King Triton's sister. The sea witch was banished and wanted power and revenge on her older brother, as well as his trident.

Does Ariel have a daughter?

Ariel appears as an adult in Return to the Sea and gives birth to a daughter named Melody, becoming the first, and currently, only, Disney princess to become a mother.

Why did they make Ariel black?

He says they were looking for the best actor for the role of any ethnicity who could not only sing but convey traits such as strength, passion, beauty, joy and intelligence, which they found in Bailey.

Why were Ariel's sisters names changed?

The names of Ariel's sisters in the live-action version of The Little Mermaid were changed, along with their role in the underwater world's royalty, thus expanding their roles even if slightly. Princess Mala (Karolina Conchet) represents Princess Attina from the animated movie, Triton's firstborn daughter.