Getty Whoopi Goldberg in April 2014.
Disney’s Descendants 2, the sequel to the hit 2015 TV movie, debuts on July 21. While you’re watching it, you might be wondering who voices Ursula, the villain from The Little Mermaid who joins the franchise. It’s Whoopi Goldberg, who became an official Disney Legend earlier this month.
The second Descendants movie introduces Uma, played by Tyler Perry’s House of Payne actress China Anne McClain. She’s the daughter of Ursula, the evil sea witch who made a bargain with Ariel in the iconic 1989 movie The Little Mermaid.
In that film, Ursula was voiced by Pat Carroll, who is a legend in her own right. She won an Emmy in 1957 for her roles on the influential sketch comedy show Caesar’s Hour and shared the Grammy for Best Recording for Children for The Little Mermaid. Carroll has continued to voice Ursula for dozens of Disney TV Shows and video games. In 2012, she voiced the character for Disney Princess: My Fairytale Adventure and Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance.
Goldberg’s casting in Descendants 2 was on;y announced a few days before the film’s premiere.
“It was the most fun being in a recording session with you,” director Kenny Ortega said during an appearance on The View about working with Goldberg. “You’ve always been at the top of my wish list, I’ve always wanted to work with you as an actor. It was such a joy, thank you.”
Earlier this month during Disney’s D23 convention, Goldberg joined the list of Disney Legends, a group of men and women who made a major impact on The Walt Disney Company. Goldberg’s contributions to the Disney family include hosting The View, starring in the two Sister Act films and voicing the hyena Shenzi in The Lion King.
The 61-year-old Goldberg is also a noted Disney fan herself and recently made headlines for calling on the studio to release the controversial 1946 film Song of the South on home video. The Oscar-winning film, which was Disney’s first to feature live action, has been unavailable for decades because of its depiction of the post-Civil War South.
“I’m trying to find a way to get people to start having conversations about bringing Song of the South back, so we can talk about what it was and where it came from and why it came out,” Goldberg told Yahoo Movies after her Disney Legend ceremony.
As Cartoon Brew points out, Goldberg has been successful in getting other studios to release racially insensitive material. She even recorded an introduction to Looney Tunes DVDs for Warner Bros., telling viewers that it is important to understand that the depictions are wrong, but they cannot be ignored as part of the historical record.
“Disney made you feel that no matter where you came from, you were welcome,” Goldberg said of visiting Disneyland during her Disney Legends speech.
