Who Plays Scuttle In The Little Mermaid 2023

The 2023 live-action remake of The Little Mermaid reimagines Scuttle with a voice actress who’s own eccentricity made for an electrifying performance of the Disney classic’s token seabird. In the 1989 original animation, Scuttle soared his way into the hearts of audiences with his offbeat personality and “expert knowledge” on all things human. Despite being curbed to the role of Ariel’s anthropomorphic sidekick, Scuttle proved to be a hilarious addition to the live-action Little Mermaid movie and a source of advice (at least to the best of his ability) for Ariel as she navigated the human world above the water.

Scuttle had very iconic moments in the original Little Mermaid animation, from the coining of the “dinglehopper” to his role in Eric and Ariel’s first boat ride; even so, the remake chose to revamp the Scuttle character and develop new iconic moments for the bird. With a complete character redesign that included changes in Scuttle’s species and gender, the 2023 film needed a voice performer who could execute the kind of performance that could make the new Scuttle as distinguished as the old. Thankfully, The Little Mermaid live-action remake was able to find an actor whose expressive personality and comical inflections lent themselves well to the film’s delightful reimagining of Scuttle.

Awkwafina Plays Scuttle In Disney’s Live-Action The Little Mermaid

Like with any big change, it was hard for some to accept or even enjoy Disney’s developments of Scuttle’s characterization. Instead of Buddy Hackett’s traditional rendition of the seagull, audiences were presented with a female, Northern gannet interpretation of Scuttle voiced by the actress, comedian, and rapper Awkwafina. Awkwafina’s divisive Scuttle performance seemed oceans away from Hackett’s characterization and, consequently, it received considerable backlash from fans of the original The Little Mermaid.

Although a great deal was changed from the animated version, Awkwafina’s performance still retained the character’s quintessential humor and supposed understanding of humanity. The actress’ rendition may have been different from what fans were used to, but Awkwafina’s Scuttle proved to be an ode to the old, zany seagull while simultaneously bringing a fresh perspective to the beloved character. With Awkwafina’s rendition, audiences were able to experience the actress/comedian’s own brand of humor, an exclusive Scuttle rap aptly titled “The Scuttlebutt,” and more new and entertaining Scuttle moments that helped create an altogether charming take on the Scuttle character.

Where Else You’ve Seen The Little Mermaid’s Awkwafina

Awkwafina is no stranger to bringing her recognizable voice and personality to roles and making them wholly her own. Her acting catalog is full of eccentric characters who tend to steal the show with scrappy humor and bold dispositions. Awkwafina is best known for her roles in Crazy Rich Asians, The Farewell, and Ocean’s 8 where she played an unfettered best friend, a grieving granddaughter, and a New York City pickpocket respectively.

The actress’s range doesn’t stop there, as Awkwafina’s best movie and TV roles also include a wide range of other popular films, including Jumanji: The Next Level, Marvel’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Raya and the Last Dragon, and more. Presently, Awkwafina helms a critically acclaimed Comedy Central sitcom called Awkwafina is Nora From Queens and is expected to appear in future projects such as Paul Feig’s Grand Death Lotto and John Krasinski’s Imaginary Friends. Awkwafina’s Scuttle rendition in The Little Mermaid may have been cause for commotion, but it surely wasn’t at the fault of the actress, whose funny persona drove much of the humor found in the live-action remake.