'She's misunderstood, damaged': 'The Little Mermaid' star Melissa McCarthy on how making Ursula King Triton's sister was a game-changer
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: As ‘The Little Mermaid’ opened in theaters with great fanfare on May 26, speculation is already rife regarding a possible spinoff of the live-action remake of the Disney animation flick of the same name from 1989. Meanwhile, Melissa McCarthy has shared how making Ursula a sister of King Triton made the story more poignant.
McCarthy, who plays the villainous sea witch Ursula, made the case for a more sympathetic Ursula, who is mostly misunderstood. She also opined that Ursula, who lives in isolation because of the banishment, is a "damaged" character.
READ MORE
30 years of 'The Little Mermaid': How the original animated movie changed things for Disney
'She's misunderstood, damaged'
The two times Primetime Emmy winner discussed in an interview how making Ursula related to King Triton changed the game for the film, USA Today reports. She said, "She's categorized as the villain, but I have a complicated view of Ursula. She's misunderstood, damaged.” While Ursula is no doubt a villain for taking advantage of the innocent Princess Ariel, she is not without her reasons.
McCarthy, who understood Ursula better during the Covid-19 Lockdown, was of the opinion that Ursula lives alone, except for the company of her two followers Flotsam and Jetsam. "Coming out of lockdown to play someone who is not at 100% mental health because of her isolation − we can all relate to that,” said the Academy Award nominee.
In fact, the new live-action version of the legendary fairy tale portrays the larger-than-life characters of Ursula and King Triton as siblings, thus imparting more depth to their rivalry. As Ursula, out of sibling rivalry, wanted to dethrone King Triton and become the Queen of Atlantica, the mighty king banished her from the kingdom. McCarthy shared, "To know that your family banished you and sent you into exile, that changed the game for me," before adding, "The very people she wants to love have thrown her aside. Even if she deserved it, she's missed out on her whole life."
‘I felt the energy’
However, the onscreen rivalry of the siblings did not translate into real life as the duo championed a spinoff featuring Ursula. In a candid chat with The Hollywood Reporter, McCarthy and Bardem unfolded their onscreen sibling bond and discussed the moments they discovered each other as artists. Bardem said, “I had a moment where [Melissa] was delivering some pretty heavy lines and they made my spine [shiver].” He not only realized McCarthy’s artistic capability but also discovered the aura of the character of Ursula. He continued, “I felt the energy. So I didn’t see her Ursula until that moment, but I knew then that she had created a unique and iconic Ursula in this movie.”
He heaped more praise on his onscreen sister, saying, “She’s brought everything that you can ask for and imagine.” He then made a cause for an Ursula spinoff along the lines of ‘Maleficent’. “So I need an Ursula spinoff, and since our characters are siblings, I want to have one scene with her while having dinner,” he said. He also wished to share the screen with her while having a dinner scene.
McCarthy also quipped, “Let’s go for six or seven if we’re throwing it out there. C’mon!”
'I was really nervous to meet him'
In the same interview, McCarthy also shared that she was not very confident when she first met Bardem. She said, “I was really nervous to meet him, but the nerves went away within two seconds. The second you meet Javier, he’s like a walking warm hug.” She explained that Bardem’s warm and welcoming nature melted the ice pretty quickly.
“I always find it fascinating how people throw their energy so differently per their characters. When his energy is on, it’s what you would expect from being in a room with Javier [in character]. You feel it,” continued the actress while praising her on-screen brother who portrays a protective father of seven girls.