Melissa McCarthy He left the New York “stand-up comedy” scene to study at the prestigious The Actors Studio, and it was from there that he landed on the big screen in the well-known comedy The Bridesmaids, which made him memorable kept going to the cinema publicly and got his first nomination for Oscar; the second would be accompanied by the great “Can You Ever Forgive Me?”
Throughout her career, the actress has made it clear that she feels like a fish in water, whether it’s a comedy text or a tragic comedy. And just like a fish, or rather, a mollusk in water, she felt herself in the skin of the deliciously evil “Ursula” for the new live-action version. from the classic by Disney “The little mermaid”.
ADVERTISING
CONTINUE SEEING MORE CONTENT
With a sense of humor that has become a crowd pleaser, McCarthy details his experiences on the set of the film, which hits theaters May 25.
How familiar were you with the animated film? How did you come to the new film?
“I found The Little Mermaid by begging Rob Marshall to consider me I told him, “I can do the catering.” I prepare a very rich hummus, so I’m sure it was my hummus. When I first spoke to Rob about the film, I told him, “This is a film that I’ve seen, I don’t know, at least 500 times.” I was babysitting in New York when the film came out, and everyone At night, the girls I looked after could watch part of a movie before they went to sleep, and they chose The Little Mermaid for about a year and a half. . We watched it over and over again and now I realize that I never got bored of the film. I liked the new script. I thought it was modern in an odd, non-modern way, and the central theme is a complex relationship between Ariel and King Triton. She’s a rebellious teenager, something you don’t see much of in older Disney films. And I always thought Úrsula was great. She’s a ruthless character, but I understand her from the bottom of my heart, so being able to play her was like a feverish delusion.”
How would you describe Ursula?
“I never thought I would play such an incredibly iconic villain. She is wonderful and she is like a woman of the night; In fact, I always pictured her with a martini and a cigarette in hand. She’s very seductive and mesmerizing, but I still feel sorry for her because she’s an outsider and she didn’t start that badly. I think she’s been alone in her burrow with her eels and flotsam and flotsam for so long that she’s a little crazy. In his lair is a collection of all his treasures. There are skulls, shells, pearls, and the remains of people who upset them. Her study is dark and shadowy and it looks like a boudoir because it has a mirror and all her makeup. There is opulence and darkness at the same time because she is literally and emotionally in a place of great darkness. My goal was to create a villain that you can love and hate at the same time. If you could have a drink with a character from the Disney kingdom, I would definitely choose Úrsula.
How do you see the story that the film presents?
“’The Little Mermaid’ is a classic story about a protective father and a young woman who becomes a woman. She still struggles with the challenges of autonomy compared to life as a father’s daughter and how far you can stretch those boundaries. It is the problem that all parents struggle with in their children. And then there is the sea witch, who makes a powerful pact with Ariel. She tells him that she can give her the ability to walk on earth and be among people, but that in three days someone must fall madly in love with her or Úrsula will keep her voice. And Ariel agrees to the deal, but they have to watch the movie to see what happens.
Melissa McCarthy points out that the talent and human qualities of actress and singer Halle Bailey, star of The Little Mermaid, were fundamental in the filming of the film. (included)
What was it like working with the rest of the cast?
“Hall Bailey it is an absolute delight. He is very professional. She has a beautiful, natural, powerful voice in this little person. And yes he has an amazing voice but what he does with his voice is so wonderful. The story it tells and how it sings about it, the emotion it conveys, be it strength or vulnerability. You can have a perfect voice, but if you can’t tell the story, it’s not the same. And she has both, she’s a wonderful actress, she’s charming. We both had hearing aids because sometimes we were across the stage but needed to listen to each other. She would sit in her place and I would tell her, ‘You don’t have to be here.’ And she said to me, ‘No. I will always sit here.’ And he always hums. Very briefly, just because I had a headset, I could hear her, which proves how adorable she is. She always hummed a soft, beautiful tune and it was like I was the only one who could hear her. I never told him anything because I didn’t want him to stop. But he did it so quietly that no one knew he was doing it. It’s like she’s moving with this beautiful melody that’s inside her. He really is a very special person. You can feel it and transfer it to the screen. It was great to work with too Javier BardemBut my god, when he’s working you can feel him firing those bolts. Pardon the pun for King Triton. But that’s how it is. It can channel that energy so you can feel it. And it feels through the camera. And when it does what it does so well, it packs a punch. Just working with him and then finding out he’s a lot of fun too, how could I have been so lucky?”
What training did you have for filming?
“Our stunt coordinator, Adam Kirley, had an incredible team of stuntmen working with him and without them it would have been impossible to pull off. It was a magical setting. There was equipment I’d never seen before like giant booms operated by seven people and giant oil rigs that spun and spun and sometimes I was attached to ropes to lift me to the ceiling what I liked it very much. We never had to pretend to move in this altered state. And it was never rhythmic or symmetrical, that’s how it is under water. You really felt like you were floating, so as actors we could feel it. This was important to Rob Marshall because it’s very difficult to give the impression that someone is floating on water. The strength and physical prowess of the members of the stunt department was incredible. They kept running or pushing us or stopping us or turning us around.
How was working with the costume designer?
“Amazing Colleen Atwood. He’s got an impressive system, an empire, and he’s walked me through all the departments. We’ve seen the dyers and seen where they make the fabrics and fabrics for the scales. Watching her and her entire team at work was like watching a symphony. Ursula’s movements are sensual and gliding, it seems like she’s always sliding off the sidewalk of a bar. My tentacles were dancers. Every time I danced from the waist up, I’d have these eight amazing dancers, each doing a tentacle. Rob Marshall wanted me to sense my surroundings and imagine their length and size. And he was right, because that made a big difference. What a luxury to really feel like an octopus! It had a huge impact on the development of my movement. Our choreographers Tara Nicole Hughes and Joey Pizzy are extraordinary people and every day with them was a real pleasure.
Tell us about the music in the film.
“Rehearse with Alan Menken and Lin Manuel Miranda it was as frightening as it was exciting. It was me and these two music greats. But the new songs are beautiful. It’s been very exciting to be around people you admire so much because even though I’ve been doing this for a long time, I’m still shocked by certain people for being so exceptional at what they do, and these two Gentlemen are at the top of this list. Singing was a dream come true for me because I was excited and scared at the same time and I got to sing “Poor Unfortunate Souls” which is one of the most fabulous songs of all time. But I practiced a lot and we rehearsed for months because I don’t usually do that, but I wanted to honor this music and this score. When we recorded with the orchestra it was so exciting that I didn’t want it to end.
What was it like working with Rob Marshall as a director?
“It’s actually ridiculous because I don’t know what to say about him. The set was unlike anything I’ve done before and I love my job and I love all my sets, but there was a special precision and warmth to it and everything was so well thought out. The lighting was beautiful and the camerawork exquisite. Everyone wants to work with Rob Marshall. When we left we all cried. We thought, “Nobody’s gonna be as nice as Rob Marshall.” To have someone so nice, so sweet, so good at what they do, and so much fun and funny like them, that is like heaven. It was an infectious joy.”
What can viewers expect from the film?
“I look forward to audiences experiencing this new world and seeing this reimagined version of the film we all love. Rob Marshall and his cast and crew have created a beautiful picture of who really makes the world. And Halle Bailey really owns the role. I’ve seen so many videos of these beautiful little kids who don’t see themselves on screen, so seeing Halle as the little mermaid will mean a lot to them. I think we will feel that for a long time.