“ It was me there with my adorable gay hombre ally and I was dressed like a adult honest-to-god pull queen . "
Long beforeMelissa McCarthywas Ursula inThe Little Mermaidor the funniest part of any movie she’s in (Spy,underrated!), she was an aspiring actor working as a drag queen in ‘90sNew York. No, really.
Even more impressive, her long-lost days in drag have come full circle as the actor has picked the art form back up once again for her turn as the deliciously villainous sea witch.
“I have always been, since my teens, a huge fan of drag,” McCarthy toldOut Magazineearlier this week. “I think it’s an unbelievable art form, and I couldn’t separate that from Ursula.”
McCarthy was such a fan of drag growing up that performing in drag was one of her first jobs in the entertainment industry. She notably detailed her history as a ’90s-era New York drag queen in a 2017Rolling Stonecover story.
“It was me there with my lovely gay guy friends and I was dressed like a big old drag queen. I went by Miss Y,” she told the publication. “I had a gold lamé swing coat on, a huge wig, big eyelashes. I talked about being incredibly wealthy and beautiful and living extravagantly, and the first night worked great. It was such a happy, good feeling, and it gave me such confidence.”
Atwood, who referred to McCarthy by the nickname Missy in the Rolling Stone profile, said the actor even attended the famed Wigstock drag festival in full drag.
Sadly, McCarthy’s days as Missy Y were short-lived. She told Rolling Stone heckling from crowds while performing became too much.
Thankfully, her drag background is all the more relevant — and honestly kismet — again as she credits drag queens with inspiring her portrayal of Ursula.
“I always go back to Divine,” she told Out, while also mentioning Varla Jean Merman, another legendary queen, as an influence for her performance.Divine was reportedly an inspirationfor Ursula in the original animated movie, so this all makes sense.
As the living icon she is, McCarthy hasn’t shied away from highlighting the art of drag duringThe Little Mermaidpromotional tour. This includes posing a photo of herself andDrag Racealum Nina West on the red (well, technically blue) carpet from the film’s world premiere in Los Angeles.
Come to think of it, why hasn’t McCarthy guest judged onDrag Raceyet? Better yet, she should do so in full drag. The world need Miss Y’s return.
“It was me there with my lovely gay guy friends and I was dressed like a big old drag queen."
