Praising McCarthy's comedic talents, the director also highlighted her dramatic capabilities as well, stating that the actor's versatility made her a great choice for the role. Read what Marshall said about McCarthy below: It was really daunting to think about who was going to play this part. I love that she was...
McCarthy has confirmed her performance as Ursula was an homage to drag queens and it's been confirmed by animator Rob Minkoff that the 1989 film's animated character was based on drag queen Divine at the direction of lyricist and creative Howard Ashman.
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.
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.
Though the two were meant to rule the seas together, Ursula's greed and use of dark magic to usurp Triton led to her being banished. The desire for revenge and power is her motivation for the show.
Melissa Gorga on the ‘verge of becoming unrecognizable’ after RHONJ star favors Kim Kardashian
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."
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.
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!
I felt starved and crazy half the time,” she explained to People Magazine. And though McCarthy admits she will likely have ups and downs in her weight throughout the rest of her life, she has expressed that her recent weight loss was done via conventional lifestyle changes with improved diet and physical activity.
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.
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.
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.
Patricia Ann Carroll (May 5, 1927 – July 30, 2022) was an American actress and comedian. She voiced Ursula in The Little Mermaid and appeared in CBS's The Danny Thomas Show, ABC's Laverne & Shirley, and NBC's ER. Carroll was an Emmy, Drama Desk, and Grammy Award winner, as well as a Tony Award nominee.
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.
There were a lot of very confused people a few years ago when it was revealed that Halle Bailey had been cast as the live-action Ariel and people, who did not know Bailey from her music career, believed that Halle Berry had been cast in the role.
She told reporters, “[Sookie] was a character we knew we could not count on in terms of story because [Melissa] just simply wouldn't have that sort of time to carve out for us.” Leaving McCarthy out of the revival series didn't sound like an intentional snub, but rather a lack of timing.
Why does Melissa McCarthy have a bandaid on her neck?
But fans were distracted by a large plaster on the actress's neck. The 50-year-old shared a video previously where she revealed she had suffered from a terrifying spider bite while filming two projects in Australia this year.
Melissa McCarthy and Ben Falcone are the proud parents of two daughters, Vivian, 16, and Georgette, 13. The comedy duo prefer to keep their children's lives private and do not share photos of their daughters on their social media accounts.
[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.
And when Ariel asks how she can cause Eric to fall in love with her without it, Ursula tells her a whopper of a lie—a lie about her real worth. “You'll have your looks!” Ursula tells her. “Your pretty face. And don't underestimate the importance of body language!”
I Think About This a Lot: Ursula Applying Red Lipstick in The Little Mermaid. Sealed With a Kiss is a series of stories devoted to the transformations that come with a swipe of lipstick.
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!
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.
