Melissa McCarthy pulled influence from drag culture while portraying Ursula in the upcoming live action retelling of The Little Mermaid.
The 52-year-old actress plays the wicked sea witch, who will face off against Halle Bailey‘s version of Ariel in the new movie.
Fans may not be aware, but Ursula was originally inspired by a drag queen named Divine. Melissa addressed drag culture in a recent interview while discussing how she got into character. Read more about Melissa McCarthy’s prep to play Ursula… Speaking with Entertainment Weekly, Melissa said that she “100 percent” pulled from drag culture for the role. “There’s a drag queen that lives in me.
I’m always right on the verge of going full-time with her,” she explained. Melissa has previously revealed that she performed in drag at the start of her career as a comedian. “I really dressed to rival a drag queen, for sure.
Read more on justjared.com