'The Little Mermaid' makeup artist responds to backlash over Ursula's appearance

Makeup artist Peter King has defended his work on Ursula's look in The Little Mermaid live-action film, amidst backlash from the LGBTQ+ community.

The community has expressed concerns that a queer makeup artist should have been involved in creating the iconic character inspired by drag queen Divine. 

In response to the criticism, King said: “I find that very offensive. Why can’t I do as good a job as a queer makeup artist?”

“That’s ridiculous. That’s trying to claim it and that’s fine, if that’s what they wanna do, but don’t put people down because they’re not what they want it to be,” King added.

King, known for his work on films like The Lord of the Rings and Star Wars: Episode VIII, expressed confusion over the negativity surrounding his work, emphasizing that a makeup artist can design without having a personal attachment to the subject matter. 

He mentioned having discussed the project extensively with Melissa McCarthy, the actress portraying Ursula, and bonding over their shared love for drag queens and drag makeup. 

McCarthy herself has previously performed as a drag queen in New York City under the name Miss Y.