Melissa McCarthy on her singing abilities ahead of The Little Mermaid reboot

Melissa McCarthy has officially added singing to her long list of capabilities. The star did, in fact, just reveal that she discovered her vocal talents while rehearsing for the role of Ursula on the upcoming live-action reboot of The Little Mermaid.

Melissa, who was nominated for best supporting actress in a limited series for Nine Perfect Strangers at last night's 2022 Critics Choice Awards, specifically credited her vocal coach Eric Vetro for unleashing her singing voice. 

"I am not a singer, but I think, getting ready for Ursula, I was so surprised that I could actually, like, control my voice," she said on the red carpet. "But still, you have to know which lane you're in... and I'm fine with that."

Lest you think Melissa slightly upset about portraying the movie's iconic villain, think again. Back in December of 2020, the actor—who also recently revealed how she got burnt by an unusual spa treatment—spoke about her upcoming role while on Watch What Happens Live! with Andy Cohen. 

"I have such an affection for Ursula," she said then. "I know she's the villain but I've just always kind of been like, 'Oh my god.' She's kind of delicious to play. [...] It's just so fun. You can't go too far with her and I'm excited to see it."

But back to the singing: Interestingly enough, Melissa actually nabbed the part over Grammy Award winning artist Lizzo. Back in 2018, the singer posted an audition video of herself dressed up as Ursula and singing Poor Unfortunate Souls.

"Everyone knows I auditioned for Ursula in The Little Mermaid and I didn't get it," Lizzo then said to Variety. "But, you know, I'm fine as hell. That has nothing to do with Ursula but I was down to make Ursula a THOT, shaking ass."

Funnily enough, Lizzo actually bumped into Melissa after the funny actor officially got the role. The two saw each other during the taping of Adele's "One Night Only" CBS concert special in Los Angeles and they "bonded" over their love for the character.

Scheduled to be released on May 26, 2023, The Little Mermaid stars Halle Bailey as Ariel, Jonah Hauer-King as the human prince Eric, Javier Bardem as King Triton, Daveed Diggs as Sebastian, Jacob Tremblay as Flounder and Awkwafina as Scuddle. We cannot wait to watch it!