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

Contents:

• 'BETY AND THE BEAST' FEATUR DISNEY'S FIRST GAY CHARACTER
• ALL THE CHARACTERS 'BETY AND THE BEAST' WHO WERE PROBABLY GAY ALL ALONG
• ‘BETY AND THE BEAST’: JOSH GAD PLAYS DISNEY’S FIRST-EVER GAY CHARACTER
• 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 POPULARVANY FAIR’S “IT’S RAG TEENS” COVER AT 20: WHERE ARE THEY NOW?BY SAVANNAH WALSHRED, WHE & ROYAL BLUE MAY BE “THE MOST EXPENSIVE B OF FAN FICTN EVER”BY SAVANNAH WALSHTHE CAST OF OPPENHEIMER AND THE REAL PEOPLE THEY PLAYBY HILLARY BISSAVANNAH WALSH
• ALL THE CHARACTERS 'BETY AND THE BEAST' WHO WERE PROBABLY GAY ALL ALONG
• 'BETY AND THE BEAST'S 'GAY MOMENT' MAY HAVE BEEN MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHG
• BACKLASH GROWS OVER DISNEY'S GAY 'BETY AND THE BEAST' CHARACTER
• FRANKL GRAHAM WANTS PEOPLE TO BOYTT BETY AND THE BEAST OVER GAY CHARACTER
• ‘BETY AND THE BEAST’ CAST REACTS TO HAVG FIRST GAY DISNEY CHARACTER AS ONE THEATER BANS FILM
• 'BETY AND BEAST' GAY CHARACTER SPARKS CHRISTIAN BOYTT LLS
• JOSH GAD ADMS 'BETY AND THE BEAST' REMAKE 'DIDN'T GO FAR ENOUGH' WH GAY CHARACTER'S STORYLE
• 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' FEATUR DISNEY'S FIRST GAY CHARACTER

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.

” Condon promised the film will have a “nice, exclively gay moment” at the the LGBTQ have been advotg to see themselv reprented Disney films.

ALL THE CHARACTERS 'BETY AND THE BEAST' WHO WERE PROBABLY GAY ALL ALONG

Those g were advotg for givg the lead character Disney’s blockbter h “Frozen” a female love tert the news of LeFou beg Disney’s first gay character, however, was met wh mixed reactns. It’s certa as the sun — Josh Gad’s character Bety and the Beast is gay. But is a nice, exclively gay moment a Disney movie.

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. Disney's Bety and the Beast is easily one of the greatt and gayt children's movi of all pany recently ma headl after cidg to clu a sgle gay character their latt live-actn versn. Crics lled their cln of one gay character groundbreakg — which was — but as any unhealthy obssed fan of the movie knows, the origal Bety and the Beast was rich wh queer subtexts and characters (or at least, on we uld dream about) ALSO: 'Bety and the Beast' director reveals Disney's first openly gay characterListen: the movie me out (hare-har) 1991.

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

SEE ALSO: Malaysia holds off screeng 'Bety and the Beast' after scene volvg 'gay moment'Below is list of characters om Bety and the Beast who are very likely queer but who jt haven't e out yet, and may future versns.

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 POPULARVANY FAIR’S “IT’S RAG TEENS” COVER AT 20: WHERE ARE THEY NOW?BY SAVANNAH WALSHRED, WHE & ROYAL BLUE MAY BE “THE MOST EXPENSIVE B OF FAN FICTN EVER”BY SAVANNAH WALSHTHE CAST OF OPPENHEIMER AND THE REAL PEOPLE THEY PLAYBY HILLARY BISSAVANNAH WALSH

CogsworthImage: disneyFace : Cogsworth is one gay clock. GastonGaston's entire purpose life is to let know he's not gay.

Perhaps Gaston over-performs his masculy precisely bee he liv such a homophobic French small town/fictnal Disney movie.

The town hairdrserImage: youtubeObvly, stereotyp aren't real and not all male hairdrsers are gay, but this one is.

ALL THE CHARACTERS 'BETY AND THE BEAST' WHO WERE PROBABLY GAY ALL ALONG

It's a ltle disappotg that he's the only out gay character Disney's newt versn of Bety and The Beast, and not a particularly posive one. "Andi Mack" was the first seri on Disney Channel to feature a gay ma characterValkyrie, played by Tsa Thompson, appears two "Thor" films and two "Avengers" filmsWhen asked if Loki romanced would-be prcs or another prce, the god of mischief rpond wh, "A b of both"Is "Strange World" the first Disney movie that featur a gay character?

" It's the first Disney movie wh an out, gay November at the Los Angel premiere of "Strange World, " star Jake Gyllenhaal said Disney's animated fay adventure normaliz a "queer kid" character as part of s storyle about young people fdg their own inty. 'Florida teacher vtigated by state agency for showg this Disney movie classCrics' take on "Strange World":List: 'Strange World' reviews about Disney's first out gay, character, biracial queer teenDisney vs. The ma character, Ethan Cla, is gay.

'BETY AND THE BEAST'S 'GAY MOMENT' MAY HAVE BEEN MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHG

Played by Jaboie Young-Whe, a gay edian, Ethan Cla’s storyle clus havg a csh on another male character named Diazo. Photos of 8 Disney, Marvel characters who are gay, lbian or bisexualWas there a gay character on 'Andi Mack' on Disney Channel? In 2017, "Andi Mack" ma s but on Disney Channel, and was the first seri on that work to feature a gay ma Elizabeth Lee played the tle character, and her world is turned upsi-down (jt before her 13th birthday) when she learns her olr sister is actually her mother, and her mother is actually her grandmother.

Wh support om Andi and Buffy, Cys out to Jonah at a party (see vio above) show aired for three there a gay character 'Thor' 3 and 4?

"Thor: Ragnarok" (the third film the seri) and "Thor: Love and Thunr" (Thor 4) feature two proment gay characters. K falls love wh another Kronan named Dwayne, and the same-sex uple has a baby Loki gay? Episo 1 rep:The ‘Loki’ premiere fds the God of Mischief a strange new realyIt's Hiddlton's Loki nfirmed as Marvel's first bisexual lead characterIs there a gay character Marvel's 'Eternals?

BACKLASH GROWS OVER DISNEY'S GAY 'BETY AND THE BEAST' CHARACTER

"Eternals" also has the Marvel Cematic Universe's first love scene between Gemma Chan ("Crazy Rich Asians") and Richard LeFou gay Disney's 'Bety and the Beast? 'In the 1991 animated feature "Bety and the Beast, " 's clear LeFou worships Gaston − as his bt the 2017 live-actn film "Bety and the Beast, " starrg Emma Watson (the "Harry Potter" films) as Belle, Le Evans (the "Hobb" films) as Gaston and Dan Stevens as the Beast, LeFou worships Gaston − and, who was straight the animated classic, was gay this versn. Portrayed by Josh Gad, LeFou sgs that at tim he wants to be Gaston and kiss there a gay uple 'Toy Story 4?

In a brief scene, two moms drop their kids off to there a gay uple 'Star Wars?

The scene is toward the end of the film and featur two unnamed female Ristance soldiers an there a gay uple 'Onward? Wahe's character is a purple cyclops who mentns her there a gay character 'Cella? There was a great al of ntroversy six years ago when Disney announced that the 2017 live-actn remake film of Bety and the Beast would feature the "first openly gay moment" any Disney film.

FRANKL GRAHAM WANTS PEOPLE TO BOYTT BETY AND THE BEAST OVER GAY CHARACTER

Lyrics such as "We don't like/What we don't unrstand/In fact sr /And this monster is myster at least" powerfully skewer the nventnal fears and stigmas aimed at LGBT+ people, particularly at the time when the AIDS crisis was beg blamed on the gay muny and homophobia was beg exprsed publicly and celly. The town that Belle om seems acceptg of crossdrsg and gay romance, and Cogsworth and Lumiere's dg is replaced wh a "naggg" wife for the former.

They're not talkg about the overall film, which is gettg great reviews (three out of four stars om USA TODAY) and breakg box office rerds wh a $170 ln but, the hight ever for March and the seventh-hight of all unrwhelmed reactn has been to the so-lled "exclively gay moment" the film, which has ed ternatnal ntroversy sce director Bill Condon first mentned an terview wh Attu the terview, Condon said the character LeFou (Josh Gad) would be portrayed as gay.

The "gay moment" that Condon was referrg to is a blk-and-you'll-miss- shot the film's fal sends.

‘BETY AND THE BEAST’ CAST REACTS TO HAVG FIRST GAY DISNEY CHARACTER AS ONE THEATER BANS FILM

"If nobody had said that #LeFou had a 'gay moment'  #BetyAndTheBeast, I really don't thk would've even been a thg, " wrote one Twter er. "Watched the new #BetyAndTheBeast movie last night, hontly don't unrstand what the outrage (about) there beg a gay character was (about), " wrote another.

"Bt part of my day was when half the theater clapped and cheered when the gay uple me on screen #BetyAndTheBeast, " reported one dience who supported the film appld how much money was able rack spe reported "boytts.

"Though the moment was well-received or unrwhelmg to many dience members, there were some the LGBT muny who thought the reprentatn of a gay character did not go far enough.

'BETY AND BEAST' GAY CHARACTER SPARKS CHRISTIAN BOYTT LLS

Also LeFou is not gay enough, " one Twter er sentiment was shared by some LGBT crics and wrers. "Disney n pat self on s back all wants for turng a villao buffoon that was d as gay the origal film to a morally ambiguo buffoon who is more obvly gay, nfis a teapot, and tri out dancg wh a man, " wrote Vulture.

JOSH GAD ADMS 'BETY AND THE BEAST' REMAKE 'DIDN'T GO FAR ENOUGH' WH GAY CHARACTER'S STORYLE

"Although I adored the movie overall, part of my tratn wh is that I had hoped for more out of Condon’s 'exclively gay moment, '" The Huffgton Post explaed. The backlash over a gay character appearg Walt Disney's Bety and the Beast is risg, puttg an Alabama theater and Rsian ernment officials on mon ground.

A Henagar, Ala., drive- has nceled plans to screen Bety, while the Rsian ernment is nsirg banng the film followg revelatns that the character LeFou, played by Josh Gad, is gay. Reprentativ of the Henagar Drive-In announced Thursday on Facebook that the theater won't show Bety when 's released March 17 bee Disney is "premierg their first homosexual character.

"The post add that the theater would ntue to show "wholome" movi so patrons would not worry "about sex, nudy, homosexualy and foul language. "In rponse to the Alabama theater's cisn, Bety and the Beast director Bill Condon told USA TODAY that outcry over the first gay character a Disney movie is “overblown.

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

Rsian Culture Mister Vladimir Medsky said the film would be screened prr to s release there and actn would be taken if the ntent breached the untry's ternatnally nmned law prohibg the spreadg of "gay propaganda" among mors, the BBC reported Gad: 'Bety and the Beast' script didn't say 'LeFou is gay'"As soon as we get a py of the film wh relevant paperwork for distributn, we will nsir acrdg to the law, " Medsky officials did not rpond Saturday to requts for told gay Brish magaze Attu that the character LeFou, played by Gad, will explore his sexualy what Attu lls a "small but signifint subplot.

Outspoken evangelist Frankl Graham has lled for a boytt of Disney over the pany’s cln of a gay character the upg Bety and the Beast remake. Earlier this week, Bety and the Beast director Bill Condon told Attu that one of the film’s characters, LeFou, who is played by Josh Gad, will have an “exclively gay moment” on-screen wh villa Gaston (Le Evans).

The st of Disney’s Bety and the Beast is “very proud” to feature the first-ever gay character s remake of the 1991 classic, they told reporters at the Los Angel premiere on Thursday, March 2. The Henagar Drive-In theater DeKalb County, Alabama, announced on s Facebook page on Thursday, March 2, that will not be showg the film bee of the gay character.