The Little Mermaid Makeup Artist Responds to Criticism of Ursula’s Look

The Little Mermaid is now playing in theaters, and the movie is currently up on Rotten Tomatoes with a 67% critics score after 241 reviews, and a 95% audience score after 2,500+ reviews. ComicBook.com‘s Jenna Anderson gave the new movie a 4 out of 5 and called it “Disney’s most radiant and romantic live-action retelling in years.” Many people are praising the film’s cast, especially Halle Bailey’s performance as Ariel. Another standout in the film is Melissa McCarthy, who plays Ursula the sea witch. Anderson wrote in her review, “McCarthy captures a good portion of Urusla’s legendary scenery-chewing.” While people seem to agree on the Bridesmaids alum’s performance, some have been critical of the character’s makeup. Of course, the animated version of Ursula was inspired by the iconic drag queen, Divine, which has led some people to suggest a member of the LGBTQ+ community should have done the character’s makeup. In an interview with Insider, The Little Mermaid makeup artist, Peter King, responded to the backlash. Previously, King won an Academy Award for Best Makeup for Lord of the Rings: Return of the King, so he’s no stranger to the industry. 

“I find that very offensive. Why can’t I do as good a job as a queer makeup artist?” King wondered. “That’s ridiculous. That’s trying to claim it and that’s fine, if that’s what they wanna do, but don’t put people down because they’re not what they want it to be.” He added, “I personally don’t get it. Yes, I’m very old now, so that’s fine, I get that too, but, you know, a makeup artist or makeup designer could design makeup, they don’t have to have an attachment to the nature of what they’re doing.”

King also said that he “discussed everything” with McCarthy and they both bonded over “how much we love drag queens and drag makeup and stuff.” Recently, McCarthy spoke about being inspired by drag while playing the Disney villain.

“There’s a drag queen that lives in me,” McCarthy told Entertainment Weekly. “I’m always right on the verge of going full-time with her… To keep the humor and the sadness and the edginess to Ursula is everything I want in a character – and frankly, everything I want in a drag queen.”

Melissa McCarthy on Bringing Ursula To Life:

During an interview with ComicBook.com, McCarthy talked about preparing for the role of Ursula. 

“I think I prepared like I always do,” McCarthy explained. “I kind of just start to dissect them. And I’ve talked about it before, I think a lot about people’s armor and what you kind of put on as your facade and what that really hides. And if you’re, you know, Ursula, she’s such a great broad, and in my heart, she always had a drink, and it was all that, but what is it really hiding?”

McCarthy added, “She’s been isolated. She’s terribly lonely. She wasn’t allowed to have a family. She was rejected by her family. I think her mental health is not good. I mean, and going through the pandemic and being in lockdown, I think coming out of that, I was like, ‘I think we all understand how we’re not supposed to be solitary creatures and what that does to you.’ And suddenly she just really, I mean, I focused on all of it because once she became very real to me, I kind of can’t do one without the other. It’s not like ‘the voice’ and the ‘this’ anymore. It’s just kind of like ‘it’s Ursula.’ I don’t know if that sounds crazy.”

The Little Mermaid is now playing in theaters.