WASHINGTON: In a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, American actress Melissa McCarthy shared that her portrayal of Ursula in the upcoming live-action adaptation of The Little Mermaid was influenced by drag culture.
McCarthy, who has previously paid tribute to drag icon Divine, spoke about the similarities between her character and drag queens. She said, “There is a drag queen that lives in me. I am always right on the verge of going full-time with her.”
The actress also revealed that she used to perform in clubs under the drag persona of Miss Y at the start of her career. For her role as Ursula, McCarthy wanted to bring the same elements she admires in drag queens to the character.
Melissa McCarthy playing Ursula in The Little Mermaid
McCarthy said to keep the humor and the sadness and the edginess to Ursula is everything she wanted in character — and frankly, everything she wanted in a drag queen.
The upcoming live-action adaptation of The Little Mermaid, directed by Rob Marshall, also stars Halle Bailey, Jonah Hauer-King, Awkwafina, and Javier Bardem. Bailey will play the lead role of Ariel, while Hauer-King will play Prince Eric. Awkwafina will portray Scuttle, and Bardem will play King Triton.
The film’s release date has not yet been announced, but fans are excited to see McCarthy’s take on the iconic Disney villain.
