Who Plays Ursula In The Little Mermaid & How Has She Changed From The Original?

"The Little Mermaid," starring Halle Bailey as Ariel, has made a splash with fans according to the audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. And some fans may be wondering who plays Ursula and what sets this evil persona apart from the original.

The classic Disney villain, originally inspired by drag queen icon Divine, is played by Melissa McCarthy in the live-action remake. McCarthy is best known for "Spy," "The Heat," and "Tammy." She has also earned Academy Award nominations for her work in "Bridesmaids" and "Can You Ever Forgive Me?" The actress is arguably an ideal choice to play the character, considering she has a history in the drag queen scene, but the version she is portraying is a bit different from the original.

In the 2023 feature, Ursula is the estranged sister of King Triton (Javier Bardem) and Ariel's aunt. In the original film, these characters had no familial relations, and the connection adds depth to her vindictive motivations. In addition, McCarthy's version is much more ruthless, adding a secret clause in the contract causing Ariel to forget the true love's kiss requirement to stay human. 

She is also a different species. While many people think Ursula in the animated movie is an octopus, original voice actress Pat Caroll confirmed those assumptions are incorrect. "She is not an octopus. She is a squid," the actress said in a bts clip from the original film posted by @daveleedwnundr. "She has six tentacles instead of 8, which makes it less expensive to draw." Disney opted to give the character eight legs this time around. 

There is no denying that Ursula is a much different threat, and fans may be surprised to learn how McCarthy was able to connect with the villainous octopus.

Melissa McCarthy has played a wide range of characters throughout her career, but according to the director of "The Little Mermaid," Rob Marshall, her portrayal of Ursula is incomparable to her previous efforts due to her approach to the character. "It's unlike anything she's ever done," the filmmaker told Entertainment Weekly. "Of course, she's funny and wild, but there's such depth to what she's doing as an actor."

It appears the actress has gone out of her way to set her turn in the 2023 remake apart from the original to offer audiences a refreshing take on the classic Disney evildoer, and in order to portray that evil, McCarthy had to completely submerge herself within the villainous character's dark, lonely world to the point the two were almost like drinking buddies."Thinking about how much time she spent in isolation and what that had done to her mental state and paranoia, I was able to connect with her in new ways," the actress said when talking with The Hollywood Reporter. "Ursula is so damaged and such a juicy, dishy, conniving broad. I've always been, like, 'That's the gal I want to have a drink with.'"

Getting in too deep with an upgraded eight-legged usurper like Ursula has ultimately resulted in a memorable performance from Melissa McCarthy that fans will not want to sleep on, at least according to the film's star Halle Bailey. "I think people are just going to be blown away [by] her performance as Ursula. She gives it her all," the actress said in an interview with Sirius XM. "So as Ursula she killed it and I can't wait for people to see it."