‘Bety and the Beast’: Disney’s First-Ever Gay Character Is LeFou, Voiced by Josh Gad – The Hollywood Reporter

Contents:

• LEFOU EMBRAC LE FEY: DISNEY GO GAY IN ‘BETY AND THE BEAST’
• ‘BETY AND THE BEAST’: JOSH GAD PLAYS DISNEY’S FIRST-EVER GAY CHARACTER
• "BETY AND THE BEAST" DIRECTOR NFIRMS OPENLY GAY CHARACTER THE LIVE-ACTN REMAKE
• WHY 'BETY AND THE BEAST' DIRECTOR MA GASTON'S SIKICK LEFOU GAY
• THE CONTROVERSY SURROUNDG THE GAY 'BETY AND THE BEAST' SUBPLOT REEKS OF HYPOCRISY
• WHY ‘BETY AND THE BEAST’S GAY CHARACTER IS NOT AS GROUNDBREAKG AS DISNEY BELIEV
• JOSH GAD SAYS HE DON'T THK 'BETY AND THE BEAST' DID 'JTICE TO WHAT A REAL GAY CHARACTER A DISNEY FILM SHOULD BE'
• BETY AND THE BEAST “DIDN’T GO FAR ENOUGH” WH GAY LEFOU, SAYS JOSH GAD “I DON’T THK WE DID JTICE TO WHAT A REAL GAY CHARACTER A DISNEY FILM SHOULD BE,” GAD SAID A RECENT TERVIEW.BY SAVANNAH WALSHMARCH 1, 2022FROM SHUTTERSTOCK.SAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVEIT’S BEEN NEARLY FIVE YEARS SCE DISNEY’S LIVE-ACTN BETY AND THE BEAST MA HEADL FOR AN “EXCLIVELY GAY MOMENT” VOLVG LEFOU (PLAYED BY JOSH GAD), THE DIM-WTED SIKICK TO THE VILLAO GASTON (LE EVANS). THAT SCENE, TEASED BY DIRECTOR BILL CONDON DURG THE FILM’S PRS TOUR, WOUND UP BEG MERELY A BRIEF SHOT OF LEFOU DANCG WH ANOTHER MAN JT BEFORE THE CREDS ROLLED. GAD IS NOW REMORSEFUL ABOUT HIS CHARACTER’S POSNG AS DISNEY’S FIRST TE LGBTQ+ REPRENTATN.“WE DIDN’T GO FAR ENOUGH TO WARRANT ACLAS,” HE RECENTLY TOLD THE INPENNT. “WE DIDN’T GO FAR ENOUGH TO SAY, ‘LOOK HOW BRAVE WE ARE.’ MY REGRET WHAT HAPPENED IS THAT BEME ‘DISNEY’S FIRST EXPLICLY GAY MOMENT’ AND WAS NEVER TEND TO BE THAT. IT WAS NEVER TEND TO BE A MOMENT THAT WE SHOULD LD OURSELV FOR, BEE ANKLY, I DON’T THK WE DID JTICE TO WHAT A REAL GAY CHARACTER A DISNEY FILM SHOULD BE.”AT THE TIME OF BETY AND THE BEAST’S RELEASE, THE IMPLITN THAT A BELOVED ANIMATED CHARACTER WOULD BE QUEER ED NTROVERSY. AN ALABAMA THEATER REFED TO SCREEN THE FILM, MALAYSIA BALKED AT SCREENG AN UNCENSORED VERSN OF , AND RSIA APPROVED THE FILM FOR SCREENG BUT WH AN AGE RATG OF 16 AND ABOVE. AMIDST THE FALLOUT, CONDON REVISED HIS EARLIER MENTS, LLG VERAGE OF THE SCENE “OVERBLOWN.” MEANWHILE, GAD TOLD USA TODAY AT THE FILM’S PREMIERE THAT THE SCRIPT DID NOT EXPLICLY DISCLOSE LEFOU’S SEXUALY AS GAY. “THAT WAS NOT LEFOU,” GAD NTUED HIS REMARKS TO THE INPENNT. “IF WE’RE GOG TO PAT OURSELV ON THE BACK, THEN DAMN , WE SHOULD HAVE GONE FURTHER WH THAT. EVERYBODY SERV AN OPPORTUNY TO SEE THEMSELV ON SCREEN, AND I DON’T THK WE’VE DONE ENOUGH—AND I CERTALY HAVEN’T DONE ENOUGH TO DO THAT.”GAD WAS SET TO REPRISE HIS ROLE AS LEFOU A PREQUEL SERI FOR DISNEY+, WHICH WOULD HAVE RNED WH EVANS’S GASTON. HOWEVER, DISNEY POSTPONED THE PROJECT EARLIER THIS YEAR, DUE TO CREATIVE LAYS. “WE TRIED TO MAKE ALL WORK BUT UNR THE GUN WASN’T MEANT TO BE…FOR NOW,” GAD, WHO WAS ALSO A SHOWNNER ON THE SERI, TWEETED. “THE CHARACTERS AND THIS STORY WILL LIVE ON, BUT SOMETIM THE BT TENTNS & REALY LLI & NOTHG N BE DONE.”MORE GREAT STORI FROM VANY FAIR— JERRY LEWIS’S COSTARS SPEAK OUT: “HE GRABBED ME. HE BEGAN TO FONDLE ME. I WAS DUMBSTCK”— INSI CHARLIZE THERON AND TOM HARDY’S MAD MAX WAR— INVENTG ANNA IS A “DANGERO” DISTORTN, SAYS RACHEL WILLIAMS— HOW THE GUN ALEC BALDW’S HANDS TURNED THE RT SET DEADLY— LOVE IS BLD SEASON TWO IS PEAK RED FLAG TELEVISN— PACHKO FIRST LOOK: AN EPIC TALE, AND A HISTORY-MAKG SHOW— VANY FAIR’S HOLLYWOOD ISSUE 2022: SEE THE FULL PORTFOL FEATURG NILE KIDMAN, KRISTEN STEWART, AND MORE— THE UGLY TTH OF HOW MOVIE SR ARE MA— KIRSTEN DUNST ON HER FIRST OSR NOMATN FOR THE POWER OF THE DOG— FROM THE ARCHIVE: WH FRIENDS LIKE THE— SIGN UP FOR THE “HWD DAILY” NEWSLETTER FOR MT-READ DTRY AND AWARDS VERAGE—PL A SPECIAL WEEKLY EDN OF “AWARDS INSIR.”MOST POPULARNEW ON NETFLIX: SEPTEMBER 2023'S BT NEW MOVI & SHOWSBY CHRIS MURPHYAND JT LIKE THAT… HERE’S WHAT WE NEED SEASON 3BY HILLARY BISOUR FLAG MEANS DEATH SEASON 2: EXCLIVE FIRST LOOKBY SARAH CATHERALLSAVANNAH WALSH

LEFOU EMBRAC LE FEY: DISNEY GO GAY IN ‘BETY AND THE BEAST’

Not exactly the image wh which gay men like to be associated. There is a pattern wh all of the d “gay” characters, all of whom uld be scribed ntemporary terms as genr non-nformg: They’re all villas. In an terview wh Bra’s Attu Magaze, Condon revealed that he will make his mark on the Disney legacy by allowg years of subtext to fally e to the surface, prentg the first “nice, exclively gay moment a Disney movie, ” the director said.

READ MORE: Cate Blanchett Remds You Why She’s A Gay In Wh Powerhoe Drag Bar Lip Sync — Watch. Condon, who unts Sir Ian McKellen as a good iend, is openly gay. Even if the moment wreaks of tokenism, is still a historic tone for Disney to regnize a gay character out loud.

It’s certa as the sun — Josh Gad’s character Bety and the Beast is gay.

‘BETY AND THE BEAST’: JOSH GAD PLAYS DISNEY’S FIRST-EVER GAY CHARACTER

But is a nice, exclively gay moment a Disney movie. The highly anticipated live-actn remake of “Bety and the Beast” will feature a gay character for the first time Disney's history, acrdg to the film’s director.Director Bill Condon said an terview wh Attu, a Brish gay magaze, that LeFou, the goofy sikick of the film’s ma villa, Gaston, will fd his own subplot by explorg his sexualy.“LeFou is somebody who on one day wants to be Gaston and on another day wants to kiss Gaston,” Condon told Attu. It’s somebody who’s jt realisg that he has the feelgs.” Condon promised the film will have a “nice, exclively gay moment” at the end.Many the LGBTQ have been advotg to see themselv reprented Disney films.

Those g were advotg for givg the lead character Disney’s blockbter h “Frozen” a female love tert the sequel.The news of LeFou beg Disney’s first gay character, however, was met wh mixed reactns. The live-actn “Bety and the Beast” remake is set to make history by featurg Disney’s first-ever “exclively gay moment, ” director Bill Condon Emma Watson sg “Belle” om “Bety and the Beast”In the new film, Josh Gad’s character LeFou -- a syphantic henchman to the nceed Gaston, played by Le Evans -- will be prented a b differently om the 1991 animated versn.

"BETY AND THE BEAST" DIRECTOR NFIRMS OPENLY GAY CHARACTER THE LIVE-ACTN REMAKE

“Bety and the Beast” director Bill Condon has opened up about the cisn to make Gaston's sikick, LeFou, a gay character the live-actn adaptatn of Disney's classic animated tale. See more: 'Bety and the Beast' Featur Disney's First Ever Gay Moment. That's fe … We will ntue to show fay oriented films so you n feel ee to e watch wholome movi whout worryg about sex, nudy, homosexualy and foul language.

WHY 'BETY AND THE BEAST' DIRECTOR MA GASTON'S SIKICK LEFOU GAY

I loved bee of all the negativy about gays. I am a Catholic woman who has a gay son and our church accepts him for who he is a wonrful rg human beg. I love Logan and have no objectns to s very anic level of bloodshed, but I wonr how that stacks up for this theater agast the very d implitns of a character who, let's face , everyone kd of knew was gay sce the origal animated movie h theaters back '91.

S is to e His name to preach homophobia and that kd of thkg. As for the unrwhelmg “exclively gay” subplot, though?

That is the extent of the so-lled gay subplot.

THE CONTROVERSY SURROUNDG THE GAY 'BETY AND THE BEAST' SUBPLOT REEKS OF HYPOCRISY

It's good to see Disney fally clu a gay character, but is Gaston's dweeby sikick really the bt choice?

Bety and the Beast will clu Disney‘s first gay character a children’s movie: Gaston’s dorky sikick LeFou, played by Josh Gad. On the one hand, ’s good to see Disney fally clu a gay character a children’s movie, hopefully pavg the way for LGBT reprentatn Disney’s Star Wars and Marvel movi. It’s also worth rememberg that Disney has a long history of featurg d gay villas s animated movi.

Bill Condon also said that LeFou’s subplot “has s pay-off at the end” wh an “exclively gay moment” (whatever that means), so maybe LeFou and Gaston end up together.

WHY ‘BETY AND THE BEAST’S GAY CHARACTER IS NOT AS GROUNDBREAKG AS DISNEY BELIEV

In 2017, Disney's "Bety and the Beast" director said the movie had an "exclively gay moment. Actor Josh Gad, who played Gaston's sikick LeFou the "Bety and the Beast" remake, recently shared that he agre wh some Disney fans who were left disappoted after was said that his character was a gay a new terview wh The Inpennt, Gad said he agre wh people who believed the moment was overhyped.

LeFou's anticipated "gay moment"  the 2017 film turned out to be two sends of him dancg wh a man.

' My regret what happened is that beme 'Disney's first explicly gay moment' and was never tend to be that. "The hype around LeFou's "gay moment" began jt a uple of weeks before the "Bety and the Beast" remake was set to premiere. The ver for an April 2017 edn of Attu, a gay liftyle magaze, touted a world exclive about "the same-sex surprise" fans would see the movie.

JOSH GAD SAYS HE DON'T THK 'BETY AND THE BEAST' DID 'JTICE TO WHAT A REAL GAY CHARACTER A DISNEY FILM SHOULD BE'

The phrase "exclively gay moment" beme a foc of the movie's chang to the 1991 origal animated when people flocked to the theater, the only "gay moment" LeFou's character was given me durg the movie's endg montage. "It was never tend to be a moment that we should ld ourselv for, bee ankly, I don't thk we did jtice to what a real gay character a Disney film should be, " Gad told the Inpennt this week. By now, you well know that an “exclively gay moment” is featured Disney’s live-actn Bety and the Beast remake, which — whout gettg to the nty-grty spoiler-y tails — volv Josh Gad’s LeFou, who’s the first-ever gay character the Disney non.

Le Evans Disagre Wh Gay BATB Gaston-LeFou Readg. It’s been nearly five years sce Disney’s live-actn Bety and the Beast ma headl for an “exclively gay moment” volvg LeFou (played by Josh Gad), the dim-wted sikick to the villao Gaston (Le Evans). ’ My regret what happened is that beme ‘Disney’s first explicly gay moment’ and was never tend to be that.

It was never tend to be a moment that we should ld ourselv for, bee ankly, I don’t thk we did jtice to what a real gay character a Disney film should be. ” Meanwhile, Gad told USA Today at the film’s premiere that the script did not explicly disclose LeFou’s sexualy as gay.

BETY AND THE BEAST “DIDN’T GO FAR ENOUGH” WH GAY LEFOU, SAYS JOSH GAD “I DON’T THK WE DID JTICE TO WHAT A REAL GAY CHARACTER A DISNEY FILM SHOULD BE,” GAD SAID A RECENT TERVIEW.BY SAVANNAH WALSHMARCH 1, 2022FROM SHUTTERSTOCK.SAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVEIT’S BEEN NEARLY FIVE YEARS SCE DISNEY’S LIVE-ACTN BETY AND THE BEAST MA HEADL FOR AN “EXCLIVELY GAY MOMENT” VOLVG LEFOU (PLAYED BY JOSH GAD), THE DIM-WTED SIKICK TO THE VILLAO GASTON (LE EVANS). THAT SCENE, TEASED BY DIRECTOR BILL CONDON DURG THE FILM’S PRS TOUR, WOUND UP BEG MERELY A BRIEF SHOT OF LEFOU DANCG WH ANOTHER MAN JT BEFORE THE CREDS ROLLED. GAD IS NOW REMORSEFUL ABOUT HIS CHARACTER’S POSNG AS DISNEY’S FIRST TE LGBTQ+ REPRENTATN.“WE DIDN’T GO FAR ENOUGH TO WARRANT ACLAS,” HE RECENTLY TOLD THE INPENNT. “WE DIDN’T GO FAR ENOUGH TO SAY, ‘LOOK HOW BRAVE WE ARE.’ MY REGRET WHAT HAPPENED IS THAT BEME ‘DISNEY’S FIRST EXPLICLY GAY MOMENT’ AND WAS NEVER TEND TO BE THAT. IT WAS NEVER TEND TO BE A MOMENT THAT WE SHOULD LD OURSELV FOR, BEE ANKLY, I DON’T THK WE DID JTICE TO WHAT A REAL GAY CHARACTER A DISNEY FILM SHOULD BE.”AT THE TIME OF BETY AND THE BEAST’S RELEASE, THE IMPLITN THAT A BELOVED ANIMATED CHARACTER WOULD BE QUEER ED NTROVERSY. AN ALABAMA THEATER REFED TO SCREEN THE FILM, MALAYSIA BALKED AT SCREENG AN UNCENSORED VERSN OF , AND RSIA APPROVED THE FILM FOR SCREENG BUT WH AN AGE RATG OF 16 AND ABOVE. AMIDST THE FALLOUT, CONDON REVISED HIS EARLIER MENTS, LLG VERAGE OF THE SCENE “OVERBLOWN.” MEANWHILE, GAD TOLD USA TODAY AT THE FILM’S PREMIERE THAT THE SCRIPT DID NOT EXPLICLY DISCLOSE LEFOU’S SEXUALY AS GAY. “THAT WAS NOT LEFOU,” GAD NTUED HIS REMARKS TO THE INPENNT. “IF WE’RE GOG TO PAT OURSELV ON THE BACK, THEN DAMN , WE SHOULD HAVE GONE FURTHER WH THAT. EVERYBODY SERV AN OPPORTUNY TO SEE THEMSELV ON SCREEN, AND I DON’T THK WE’VE DONE ENOUGH—AND I CERTALY HAVEN’T DONE ENOUGH TO DO THAT.”GAD WAS SET TO REPRISE HIS ROLE AS LEFOU A PREQUEL SERI FOR DISNEY+, WHICH WOULD HAVE RNED WH EVANS’S GASTON. HOWEVER, DISNEY POSTPONED THE PROJECT EARLIER THIS YEAR, DUE TO CREATIVE LAYS. “WE TRIED TO MAKE ALL WORK BUT UNR THE GUN WASN’T MEANT TO BE…FOR NOW,” GAD, WHO WAS ALSO A SHOWNNER ON THE SERI, TWEETED. “THE CHARACTERS AND THIS STORY WILL LIVE ON, BUT SOMETIM THE BT TENTNS & REALY LLI & NOTHG N BE DONE.”MORE GREAT STORI FROM VANY FAIR— JERRY LEWIS’S COSTARS SPEAK OUT: “HE GRABBED ME. HE BEGAN TO FONDLE ME. I WAS DUMBSTCK”— INSI CHARLIZE THERON AND TOM HARDY’S MAD MAX WAR— INVENTG ANNA IS A “DANGERO” DISTORTN, SAYS RACHEL WILLIAMS— HOW THE GUN ALEC BALDW’S HANDS TURNED THE RT SET DEADLY— LOVE IS BLD SEASON TWO IS PEAK RED FLAG TELEVISN— PACHKO FIRST LOOK: AN EPIC TALE, AND A HISTORY-MAKG SHOW— VANY FAIR’S HOLLYWOOD ISSUE 2022: SEE THE FULL PORTFOL FEATURG NILE KIDMAN, KRISTEN STEWART, AND MORE— THE UGLY TTH OF HOW MOVIE SR ARE MA— KIRSTEN DUNST ON HER FIRST OSR NOMATN FOR THE POWER OF THE DOG— FROM THE ARCHIVE: WH FRIENDS LIKE THE— SIGN UP FOR THE “HWD DAILY” NEWSLETTER FOR MT-READ DTRY AND AWARDS VERAGE—PL A SPECIAL WEEKLY EDN OF “AWARDS INSIR.”MOST POPULARNEW ON NETFLIX: SEPTEMBER 2023'S BT NEW MOVI & SHOWSBY CHRIS MURPHYAND JT LIKE THAT… HERE’S WHAT WE NEED SEASON 3BY HILLARY BISOUR FLAG MEANS DEATH SEASON 2: EXCLIVE FIRST LOOKBY SARAH CATHERALLSAVANNAH WALSH