Taking up the role of the villainous Ursula in The Little Mermaid was not going to be a cakewalk. And Hollywood actor Melissa McCarthy was definitely aware of the immense pressure that came with it. To deliver her best as the villain, the two-time Oscar nominee had two sets of challenges right in front of her. One, to convey a convincingly conniving performance, and two, to be comparable to the beloved original Ursula from the 1989 Disney classic voiced by Pat Carroll. However, during her journey to transform into Ursula, McCarthy came across one of her hidden talents.
Here’s what McCarthy realized about herself while bringing the iconic Ursula to life and fighting the complexities and expectations associated with it.
When Melissa McCarthy realized her hidden talent for singing
Portraying the lead role of Ariel, Halle Bailey is a singer and actress who rose to fame with her albums like The Kids Are Alright and Ungodly Hour. Known for her collaborations with her sister Chloe Bailey, the duo has earned around five Grammy Award nominations for their work. Hence, it’s no surprise that Halle did not have many problems while portraying Ariel in the live-adaptation, musical fantasy.
However, unlike Bailey, her co-actor Melissa McCarthy does not have a background in singing. An actress, screenwriter, and producer, McCarthy has received two Primetime Emmy Awards and two Golden Globe nominations for her exceptional work in her respective fields.
But during the initial phase of shooting The Little Mermaid, McCarthy realized that she does have a talent for singing. The Gilmore Girls actress had no idea that she can actually sing before the production phase of the movie.
And interestingly enough, McCarthy did all of her own singing as Ursula in The Little Mermaid after being coached by the La La Land famed vocal coach Eric Vetro.
“Literally has this massive voice” – Director Rob Marshall on Melissa McCarthy’s casting
As reported by USA Today, Melissa Mccarthy implored The Little Mermaid director Rob Marshall to consider her for the role of Ursula. Being sure it was a futile effort considering her non-existent background in singing, McCarthy said,
“I told him, ‘I’m probably not even on the bottom of your list. But I would love to talk to you about it, please, because I feel this Ursula connection.”
However, digging out her 2016 gig from Barbara Streisand’s album Encore: Movie Partners Sing Broadway, McCarthy approached Marshall. Admitting that the only available sample from Streisand’s album did help, Marshall said,
“But I didn’t really know to what extent Melissa could sing. I was thrilled to see that she literally has this massive voice with so many colors. And she’s fearless. We just clicked as friends and collaborators.”
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Apart from McCarthy, American rapper, singer, actor, and songwriter Lizzo showed her inclination toward portraying the role. However, ultimately McCarthy ended up playing Ursula, whereas a highly excited Lizzo hyped McCarthy up by claiming she cannot wait to watch her performance in the movie.
Source: IMDb
