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Disney's remake of The Little
Mermaid has received mixed reviews,

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but critics all seem to agree that
Melissa McCarthy, who plays Ursula,

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clearly elevates the film.

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McCarthy says Her standout performance
was inspired by the iconic drag queen.

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Divine.

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Huge. John Water's huge divine fan.

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I have been since my teens and
before that was common knowledge.

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When I started watching all John
Waters and watching Divine, I was like,

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and when the Little Mermaid
came out, I was like,

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I will bet you the 13 cents I
have that that's based on divine.

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McCarthy's suspicions were correct.

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Divine was indeed the
inspiration for Ursula.

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In Disney's original Little Mermaid,

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the producer and songwriter
of the animated film,

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Howard Ashman specifically encouraged
animator Rob Minkoff to incorporate

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similarities of divine into the initial
sketches of Ursula. And the rest,

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as they say is history.

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You can bear witness to McCarthy's
outstanding performance as one of Disney's

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most popular villains. Win The Little
Mermaid swims into theaters this weekend.