Why Ariana Grande should not be Meg in the live-action Hercules

While her viral rendition of Disney’s “I Won’t Say I’m In Love” has made the actress and singer a contender for casting, here’s why Ariana Grande should not be Meg in the live-action Hercules.

We won’t kid ourselves. It’s a highly unpopular opinion to state that Ariana Grande should not be Meg in the live-action Hercules. The actress and singer/songwriter has already received immense support to cast her in the role, both from fans and from the original voice actress for Meg, Susan Egan. But outside of her pitch-perfect rendition of Meg’s Disney musical number “I Won’t Say I’m In Love” and the singer’s lengthy and iconic pony-tail, there isn’t much else that parallels Grande with Disney’s wittiest leading lady and tortured-soul.

In April, Grande appeared on ABC’s upcoming special, “The Disney Family Singalong,” a one-hour event featuring a variety of stars—including Demi Lovato and Raven-Symoné—performing beloved Disney songs from the comfort of their homes. It didn’t take long for Ariana’s undeniably beautiful singalong from Disney’s 1997 film Hercules to spread across social media, with fans demanding Grande be cast as Meg.

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Fans were spurred on when, just two weeks later, Disney announced its development of a live-action Hercules, with Expendables‘s Dave Callaham to pen the script and Avengers: End Game‘s Joe and Anthony Russo set to produce. While no official casting has been announced, Grande has expressed appreciation to her fans petitioning for her to be the film’s staring heroine.

Grande fans are so passionate about the singer playing Meg, that they’re “shutting down” others, like American Idol runner-up Katharine McPhee, who are tossing their names into the casting pot. While this might be throwing gasoline on an already roaring fire, there are a few reasons Ariana Grande should not be Meg in the live-action Hercules, and why some other actresses might be better suited for the role.

Egan’s voice was iconic in the role of Meg. The actress gave Meg’s character both a powerful, mature aura as well as a fast-talking, humorous personality.

Meg laughed at her own jokes cause she knew they were funny, and then quickly moved onto the next subject because she didn’t seem to care about what anyone else had to say. She was wise, worldly, and had a dark sense of humor. But, in rare moments, Meg was also kind and not as sure of herself as she let on. It’s a lot of character to capture in one voice, but, boy, Egan nailed it with flying colors.

The voice actress did such a great job at voicing for Meg, and looked so much like her, that it’s really a shame this live-action Hercules feature wasn’t started 15 years ago, with Egan in the leading role. Gilmore Girls‘s Lauren Graham might have also been a prime pick at one point, with her fast-talking and charmingly snarky personality, but here we find ourselves in 2020.

Grande certainly isn’t a bad choice for the role of Meg in the live-action Hercules. She has proven to be born to sing a Disney number or two with not only her recent vocals from Hercules but also her duet with John Legend of “Beauty and the Beast” and her “Zero to Hero” performance for We Love Disney.

Grande has a heart for Disney that we all can appreciate, and she should definitely be the head of the singing goddesses, but the pop idol’s normally softer-spoken voice and height of 5′ 0″ might make it difficult to help set the illusion of her as Meg, especially in ancient Greek attire and standing next to a co-star playing a larger-than-life demi-god.

Of course, the filmmakers could take the live-action Meg in a totally different direction from the original Disney classic. But, assuming they stick with the Meg we all know and love, who carried and viewed herself as an older and wiser individual next to a younger and more innocent Hercules, the role might call for someone other than Grande. Perhaps, someone like Hannah Simone.

The 5′ 7″ New Girl star might seem like an out-of-the-blue choice for the role of Meg in a live-action Hercules, but she’s an actress who could pull off both Meg’s look and personality, as well as the character’s iconic voice. Her character Cece on New Girl even shared very similar traits to Meg. From stone-cold glares, off-handed jokes, and the refusal to admit when she’d fallen in love, Simone has plenty of experience in the Meg department already.

Though we know she can dance and has starred in music videos, we still aren’t sure whether or not Simone could pull off Meg’s moving solo. But we’re hopeful. Plus, her 2014 interview with Conan about how she deals with creepy men reminded us all too well of Meg’s “Take me, I’m yours” speech about her encounter with the river god.

A number of other actresses have been considered by Hercules fans to play the role of Meg, from Megan Fox to Aubrey Plaza. While Fox certainly has the look down, her animated facial expressions to follow the quick wit might be lacking. Aubrey Plaza certainly has that part down but doesn’t seem to really carry the look of Meg. Plus, her humor airs on the side of devious, rather than care-free. Natalie Portman and Hailee Steinfeld have also been choices for fans to be cast as Meg. It’s hard to find the right fit for such a memorable character.

But we stand by a red-headed Simone as a top contender for the live-action role of Meg. And since Disney has been on a role with finding the perfect leads for their live actions—from Cinderella to Beauty and the Beast—we aren’t worried.

Who else do you think should play the role of Meg in the live-action Hercules? Who would be in your dream cast? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below!