Lizzo opens up about her audition for Disney's The Little Mermaid and reveals she would've made Ursula the sea witch a thot. Directed by Rob Marshall, the live-action Little Mermaid is gearing up for a 2023 theatrical release after being in development for several years. It'll reimagine the 1989 animated classic for a new generation, complete with the addition of 4 new songs from Alan Menken and Lin-Manuel Miranda. Halle Bailey plays young mermaid Ariel, and she'll be joined by a star-studded ensemble that includes Javier Bardem, Awkwafina, Jacob Tremblay, Jonah Hauer-King, and Daveed Diggs.
The Little Mermaid also stars Oscar nominee Melissa McCarthy in the key role of Ursula, the villainous sea witch who traps Ariel in a scheme to rob her of her voice. McCarthy entered talks to play Ursula in the summer of 2019. There's already much interest in seeing how McCarthy will tackle the iconic role, but she was far from the only actress up for the part. Grammy winner Lizzo also auditioned for The Little Mermaid and was very open about her interest in playing Ursula ahead of McCarthy's casting.
Now, as part of a new interview with Variety, Lizzo has opened up about her Little Mermaid audition. She was candid about her experience and said she's alright with how things turned out. Still, she stands by the way she wished to portray Ursula, which would've been a rather updated take on the iconic villain. Lizzo said:
“Everyone knows I auditioned for Ursula in [Disney’s upcoming live-action] ‘The Little Mermaid,’ and I didn’t get it. But you know, I’m fine as hell. That has nothing to do with Ursula, but I was down to make Ursula a THOT, shaking ass.”
Lizzo then went on to say that, while she doesn't wish to go into too many details, her audition "was good." All she would add was that her singing was great, though she doesn't seem to hold any ill-will towards McCarthy. The two women met in person at the taping for Adele's CBS concert special and bonded over their shared names (Lizzo's legal name is Melissa Jefferson). Hearing Lizzo describe how she would've portrayed Ursula for The Little Mermaid, one does wish that she could've gotten the chance to bring her to life. Nevertheless, McCarthy will surely put on an excellent performance, so perhaps Disney ultimately made the right decision.
Lizzo remains a major music star, but she's gradually taken on more projects on the film and television side of things. She had a small but key role in the 2019 movie Hustlers, and she'll soon guest star on Disney's upcoming Proud Family revival. Lizzo's live-action Disney dreams might not be over just yet, either; many fans have called on the Mouse House to cast her as one of the Muses for the live-action Hercules, and she's seemed to share her support for the idea, albeit with some modifications. The Little Mermaid wasn't meant to be for Lizzo, but there are always more opportunities ahead.
Source: Variety
