Who does Awkwafina play in Disney's The Little Mermaid?

Raya and the Last Dragon star Awkwafina will be playing Scuttle in the upcoming The Little Mermaid. Scuttle is a seagull who is Ariel's close friend and often provides comic relief in the story. The character is depicted as a knowledgeable bird who tries to explain human objects and behavior to Ariel, but often misunderstands them herself.

Scuttle was famously portrayed by Buddy Hackett in the original animated film. In an interview with Screen Rant, Awkwafina shared how she approached voicing Scuttle, noting that she did not want to duplicate Hackett's memorable performance but instead sought to make the character her own.

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Awkwafina is extremely excited to voice Scuttle in The Little Mermaid

Awkwafina, whose real name is Nora Lum, is an actress, rapper, and comedian, born and raised in Queens, New York.

She expressed her excitement about working on The Little Mermaid remake, describing it as a mind-blowing experience. In an interview with Variety, she stated:

"I love the original 'Little Mermaid,' and I loved Scuttle. I was like, 'I have to do this.' It's a pretty iconic character, and I'm just excited to bring my own take to it."

Awkwafina expressed her admiration and excitement for collaborating with such skilled and talented cast members, such as the director Rob Marshall, who also directed Mary Poppins Returns.

While the character featured in the original Disney animation, there are some changes this time around. Scuttle was a male seagull in the 1989 movie but has now been changed to a female diving bird.

The Little Mermaid isn't Awkwafina’s first project with Disney either, as she has been cast in a number of its films, both live action and animated. Most recently, the comedic actress lent her voice to the popular, newer Disney princess film Raya and the Last Dragon as the leading dragon.

In 2018, she made her breakthrough in the industry with her performance in the hit movie Crazy Rich Asians. The role earned her critical acclaim and a nomination for the Golden Globe Award in the 'Best Supporting Actress' category. She has continued to impress audiences with her roles in other popular films such as Ocean's 8, The Farewell, Jumanji: The Next Level, and Shang-Chi.

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Plot, cast, and other details of The Little Mermaid

The upcoming movie is a live-action remake of the 1989 animated classic, which itself was an adaptation of a 19th-century Danish fairy tale. The tale tells the story of a mermaid, who happens to be the daughter of King Triton, falling in love with a human and deciding to trade her voice to a sea witch in return for the ability to walk.

The upcoming movie will feature a star-studded cast, with Halle Bailey playing the lead role of Ariel, Jonah Hauer-King as Prince Eric, Daveed Diggs as Sebastian, Jacob Tremblay as Flounder, and Melissa McCarthy as Ursula the Sea Witch.

While Sebastian's Jamaican accent from the original film will be retained, Scuttle and Flounder have been given a new spin by their respective new actors. Diggs, who is known for his musical background, will be reteaming with Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda to create new music for the film. Miranda is also a producer on the film.

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The Little Mermaid releases in theatres on May 26, 2023.