LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Melissa McCarthy and Javier Bardem came together for ‘The Little Mermaid,’ where the two play rival siblings Ursula and King Triton. The ‘Tammy’ star shared that she was ‘nervous’ when she knew that Bardem was part of the project. “I was really nervous to meet him, but the nerves went away within two seconds. The second you meet Javier, he’s like a walking warm hug.”
McCarthy told The Hollywood Reporter. “I always find it fascinating how people throw their energy so differently per their characters. When his energy is on, it’s what you would expect from being in a room with Javier [in character]. You feel it.”
The Bond villain wanted to do something different as most of his work is for adults, and that too mostly sinister. For Rob Marshall and John DeLuca’s live-action reimagining of the 1989 animated classic, Bardem didn’t take long to yes and was sure it is something his two young children would enjoy. “It’s about the fear and the insecurity that one feels as a father in order to understand and accept the fact that your kids are going to fly free sooner or later,” said Bardem.
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'More reliable and more emotional than the original'
He further added, “And, as a father, I related to that. In Rob [Marshall] and John’s [DeLuca] version, they have strengthened that side of the story … It’s more reliable and more emotional than the original … with all the respect and love for the original, of course.”
As the two actors got candid while talking about the experience of working together, Bardem also explained why there should be a spinoff, he said: "I had a moment where [Melissa] was delivering some pretty heavy lines and they made my spine [shiver]. I felt the energy. So I didn’t see her Ursula until that moment, but I knew then that she had created a unique and iconic Ursula in this movie."
'Let’s go for six or seven'
The veteran actor further said, "She’s brought everything that you can ask for and imagine. So I need an Ursula spinoff, and since our characters are siblings, I want to have one scene with her while having dinner.” To which McCarthy responded, "Let’s go for six or seven if we’re throwing it out there. C’mon!"
