'Little Mermaid Live' Viewers Puzzled by Shaggy's Live-Action Sebastian

Shaggy had some big claws to fill as he took on the role of Sebastian in ABC's live-action [...]

By Kyle Phillippi

Shaggy had some big claws to fill as he took on the role of Sebastian in ABC's live-action adaptation of the hit Disney classic, The Little Mermaid.

One thing that caught everyone off guard about his portrayal of the singing crab was his outfit. Donning a red, leather outfit, Shaggy was missing the 'look' of Sebastian. With no claws or any other signs of being a crab, fans were a little upset at the wardrobe choice on The Little Mermaid Live.

"So Shaggy couldn't get a costume? He just wore [Michael Jackson's] Thriller jacket huh. Ok, cool," one user tweeted.

Another user suggested another resemblance, saying that Shaggy's outfit looked like Eddie Murphy's get-up in Delirious.

His outfit was criticized on social media, but his performance seemed to go over well with the viewers. His renditions of "Under the Sea" and "Kiss the Girl" were all received well by the audience watching in-person and at home.

It was simply his outfit, or lack therof, that caused the disappointment.

Talking about his performance, many fans were pleased with Shaggy's twist on the character.

"Shaggy is the only live action Sebastian I need," one tweet read.

Another user said that, "Shaggy made a GREAT Sebastian."

Prior to the live show, the singer said all along that he was eager to put his mark on the iconic character. Speaking to ABC's Las Vegas affiliate, Shaggy expressed his gratitude towards being able to take on the part.

"I've done these kinds of live situations so I don't know if there's a nervousness or craziness that's supposed to be, I'm just really excited and really happy to bring the character back in to give a Caribbean feel to it and all of that," he said.

Along with Shaggy, The Little Mermaid Live starred Auli'i Cravalho as Ariel, Queen Latifah as Ursula, John Stamos as Chef Louis and Graham Phillips as Prince Eric.

The character of Sebastian wasn't the only one who received some criticism. The decision to cast what viewers called a "rejected Muppet" as Flounder as opposed to a performer like Shaggy did with Sebastian went over poorly. There was also complaints about not casting King Triton and instead opting to just use his portrayal solely in the original clips that were shown.

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