If the thought that perfect casting does not exist has ever crossed your mind, Melissa McCarthy has gone out of her way and beyond to show you that, yes, it does.
As The Little Mermaid live-action looms near our big screens, the thought of seeing McCarthy playing everyone’s favorite Disney villain lives rent-free in our minds. The Bridesmaids actress will take on the role of Ursula, the half-squid antagonist responsible for all the wrongdoings and evil-natured actions in the Disney film, and once McCarthy was announced, the reception was toppling with immense praise and excitement for the absolute perfect casting of the eight-legged villain.
During a recent interview with EW, the 52-year-old nostalgically shared her experience with The Little Mermaid, as she looked back to her 20s in New York, relentlessly watching the animated film with the kids she once nannied. Decades later, the actress is now bringing Ursula back to life on the bigger screen in the highly anticipated live-action anchored by Halle Bailey. Moreover, McCarthy also affirmed that the legendary late drag queen Divine, who perhaps most-famously originated the role of Edna Turnblad in John Waters’ original 1988 film of Hairspray, was her biggest inspiration to emulate the sea witch, admitting her performance is “100 percent,” influenced by drag.
“There’s a drag queen that lives in me. I’m always right on the verge of going full-time with her.”
In a performance with a much-needed nod to drag in the days we’re currently living in, McCarthy has long been an advocate and drag performer herself. Besides acting in front of the cameras, the actress’s career in drag dates back to her New York years, when she performed as her drag persona “Miss Y,” in Manhattan clubs. Moreover, in 2011, McCarthy even emulated Divine in a game of fate, during an EW cover shoot.
McCarthy’s drag-inspired Ursula in The Little Mermaid will be arriving in theatres on May 25.
