Ursula (Sea Witch)

"You named me Ursula after the Sea Goddess of Old. Legends say she was strong and powerful. Well, that's exactly what I want to be."

- Ursula to Poseidon

Princess Ursula, also known as the Sea Witch, is a character on ABC's Once Upon a Time. She débuts in the eleventh episode of the fourth season. She is portrayed by guest stars Merrin Dungey and Tiffany Boone.

Ursula is based on the Sea Witch and the titular character from the fairytale, "The Little Mermaid"; and the character of the same name from the Disney film, The Little Mermaid; she is also partly based on Ariel from the same film.

Trivia
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Character Notes

 * Ursula is featured in the title card of "Poor Unfortunate Soul".
 * Even though she transformed herself into a cecaelia from a mermaid, she still has that mermaid power which can open portals between magical realms.


 * -|Production Notes=

Production Notes

 * The casting call name for her younger self is "Miranda".
 * Her younger self is described as "a 19- to 22-year-old princess", "warmhearted and passionate", who "wants nothing more than to bring peace and beauty into the world". The description also says "yet beneath her gentle exterior, she is headstrong and full of grit – so if you cross her, you may find her more terrifying than even the most powerful kings". It also mentions "she has a lovely singing voice".
 * Ursula's singing voice was neither Tiffany Boone's voice nor Merrin Dungey's voice.


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Disney

 * In the Enchanted Forest, Ursula wears a shell necklace similar to the one in the Disney movie The Little Mermaid.
 * In our world, Ursula wears a black jacket with purple, scale-like textures, and a purple scarf; a reference to Ursula's design in The Little Mermaid.
 * While working at a tavern, Ursula sings "Part of Your World" and "Fathoms Below" from The Little Mermaid.
 * The aria sung by Ursula when she gets her singing voice back, is the same tune that Ariel sings in the Disney film, when Ursula takes her voice.

Lost

 * Cruella De Vil, Mr. Gold and Ursula go to a Mr. Cluck's Chicken Shack restaurant, a famous fast food franchise on Lost.

Popular Culture

 * While Ursula is enjoying a quiet moment outside Mr. Gold's cabin in the morning, the aria "Soave sia il vento" from Mozart's opera "Così fan tutte" is playing on her radio.


 * -|Set Notes=

Set Dressing

 * Ursula's apartment in New York City is filled with ocean-themed decorations, including coffee cups with printed fish motifs, a sea shell, a squid-shaped wall hook, framed pictures of fish, fish wall decor and a coral-shaped porcelain ornament. The wall tapestry resembles seaweed.

Costume Notes

 * One of the fans at Isaac's book signing is dressed up as Disney's Ursula.

Appearances
Note: "Archive" denotes archive footage.