Yahoo News Little Mermaid's Melissa McCarthy was "terrified" by 'Poor Unfortunate Souls'
The Little Mermaid's Melissa McCarthy has admitted she was "terrified" to perform Ursula's classic villain song.
Disney's live-action remake of the 1989 animation swims into cinemas this Friday (May 26) and sees McCarthy plays the evil sea-witch who strikes up a cunning deal with young mermaid Ariel (Halle Bailey).
But before Ursula grants Ariel legs in exchange for her voice, she belts out a rendition of 'Poor Unfortunate Souls', which was sung by Pat Carroll in the original film.
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Speaking exclusively to Digital Spy about the song, McCarthy said: "[I was] terrified! I mean it really is something so beloved and something I loved so much in Pat Carroll. Her performance was perfection."
The actress continued by saying that she had to eventually "put her nerves aside" and forget about the "big tentacles" she had to fill.
"By the time we were shooting, [because] she’s so complicated and so deliciously fun but also so damaged and broken, I had a newfound compassion for her. I felt lucky to be able to play her, for sure," she added.
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Given that Ursula was originally inspired by the drag queen Divine, and McCarthy started out her career as a drag performer called Miss Y, we also asked the star if she channelled any of that when taking on the role.
"I think I probably do it in lot of things. I always think about drag, I mean it’s been around forever and it’s an incredible art form. I always think it’s about the façade, it’s about what you put up as a person or as a performer," she shared.
McCarthy added that she couldn't do stand-up as herself when she initially started out, but Miss Y allowed her to hide behind the "huge wigs and costumes", giving her the ability to "let loose".
"I think that’s what Ursula is all about," she continued. "It’s the hair and the makeup and the bustier and attitude, but those are also all fronts for what she’s hiding. So it’s definitely an ode to Divine."
The Little Mermaid live-action movie opens on May 26 in the UK and the US. The animated movie is streaming on Disney+.
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