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Melissa McCarthy Meets Nina West At The Little Mermaid Red Carpet
Melissa McCarthy and drag queen Nina West have a heartwarming meet cute on the red carpet at The Little Mermaid premiere.
At the premiere red carpet for The Little Mermaid on Monday night, Melissa McCarthy – who plays the drag queen-inspired Ursula in the upcoming live-action film – had a heartwarming run-in with iconic drag queen Nina West.
The two met on the red carpet and began bowing to each other and chanting, “It’s everything I ever wanted.” McCarthy grasped West’s hands, told her that her dress was “perfection” and invited her to breakfast.
West was wearing an Ursula-inspired gown with a neon-green-gloved top and matching wig, while McCarthy sported a deep blue dress covered in tassels that felt very fitting for someone starring as the famous sea witch.
The pair seemed to have an instant connection and even broke into song with an impromptu version of Rosemary Clooney’s “Sisters” while they wrapped their arms around each other’s shoulders.
“Sisters, sisters / There were never such devoted sisters / Never had to have a chaperon, no sir I’m here to keep my eye on her/Caring, sharing,” the two crooned together.
West posted the interaction on Instagram with the caption, “It’s everything I’ve ever wanted. Sisters forever.”
Considering that Ursula in the original animated version of The Little Mermaid was based on iconic drag queen Divine, it seems fitting that McCarthy and the Drag Race star should hit it off.
The Tammy star said in an Entertainment Weekly interview that she took inspiration from drag queens in her performance as the beloved queer-coded villain. “There’s a drag queen [who] lives in me. I’m always right on the verge of going full-time with her.”
It’s also no surprise that the Bridesmaids star was thrilled to meet West given her longtime support of the drag and trans community. As anti-drag and trans legislation sweep through the country, McCarthy has been vocal on social media about her support of LGBTQ+ rights and even participated in the Drag Isn’t Dangerous telethon this past weekend.
While the new live-action version of the Disney classic is staying true to the source material, four new songs have been added and some things have been changed to modernize it.
In an interview with Entertainment Tonight, McCarthy talked about the “modern” message of the film that she thinks will resonate with viewers. "I think that for me there's something special about this one,” she said. “If we haven't been a parent, we've all had parents. We've all wrestled with what that is. We've all longed to figure out what's the life I want, which is really the key story that in this, I feel like it's more modern than it was in the original, just in terms of really carving out the life you choose to have for yourself.”
McCarthy continued, "And I just think that's so relevant and necessary for today, that I think it's gonna bring people a lot of joy."
As for what West thought of the film, she wrote on Instagram, “And yes, it delivers. In every single way. Halle is breathtaking. And Melissa is brilliant. I can’t wait for everyone to see this movie.”
The Little Mermaid opens May 26 in theaters.
Halle Bailey is playing Ariel in Disney's live-action version of Ariel the Little Mermaid.
The live-action versions of Disney's The Little Mermaid will premier on May 26, 2023.
Ariel Messman-Rucker is an Oakland-born journalist who now calls the Pacific Northwest her home. When she’s not writing about politics and queer pop culture, she can be found reading, hiking, or talking about horror movies with the Zombie Grrlz Horror Podcast Network.
Ariel Messman-Rucker is an Oakland-born journalist who now calls the Pacific Northwest her home. When she’s not writing about politics and queer pop culture, she can be found reading, hiking, or talking about horror movies with the Zombie Grrlz Horror Podcast Network.
