Bety and the Beast': Josh Gad Has Regrets on 'Gay Moment'

Contents:

• 'BETY AND THE BEAST' FEATUR DISNEY'S FIRST 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 POPULARRILEY KEOUGH ON GROWG UP PRLEY, LOSG LISA MARIE, AND INHERG GRACELANDBY BRT HENNEMUTHBILL MAHER BEEFS WH “PREACHY, MAN-HATG” BARBIE MOVIEBY SAVANNAH WALSHJAMIE LEE CURTIS DIGS HERSELF OUT OF COMMENTS ABOUT SAG-AFTRA STRIKEBY EVE BATEYSAVANNAH WALSH
• ‘BETY AND THE BEAST’: JOSH GAD PLAYS DISNEY’S FIRST-EVER GAY CHARACTER
• ALL THE CHARACTERS 'BETY AND THE BEAST' WHO WERE PROBABLY GAY ALL ALONG
• LEFOU EMBRAC LE FEY: DISNEY GO GAY IN ‘BETY AND THE BEAST’
• JOSH GAD ADMS 'BETY AND THE BEAST' REMAKE 'DIDN'T GO FAR ENOUGH' WH GAY CHARACTER'S STORYLE
• 'BETY AND THE BEAST'S 'GAY MOMENT' MAY HAVE BEEN MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHG
• DISNEY BREAKS NEW GROUND WH GAY SCENE 'BETY AND THE BEAST'
• BETY AND THE BEAST: DISNEY REF TO CUT GAY SCENE FOR MALAYSIAN RELEASE
• BETY AND THE BEAST'S JOSH GAD SAYS DISNEY MOVIE DIDN'T 'DO JTICE' FOR GAY REPRENTATN
• JOSH GAD SAYS HE DON'T THK 'BETY AND THE BEAST' DID 'JTICE TO WHAT A REAL GAY CHARACTER A DISNEY FILM SHOULD BE'
• BACKLASH GROWS OVER DISNEY'S GAY 'BETY AND THE BEAST' CHARACTER
• 'BETY AND THE BEAST' WILL TRODUCE WORLD TO FIRST GAY DISNEY CHARACTER

'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.

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.

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 POPULARRILEY KEOUGH ON GROWG UP PRLEY, LOSG LISA MARIE, AND INHERG GRACELANDBY BRT HENNEMUTHBILL MAHER BEEFS WH “PREACHY, MAN-HATG” BARBIE MOVIEBY SAVANNAH WALSHJAMIE LEE CURTIS DIGS HERSELF OUT OF COMMENTS ABOUT SAG-AFTRA STRIKEBY EVE BATEYSAVANNAH WALSH

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. 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.

Disney has felt the heat as of late as fans ll on the pany to publicly nmn Florida's "Don't Say Gay" bill, which jt passed through the state senate.

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

As of today, Pixar animators are speakg out agast the pany, sharg an open letter that rporate offic "have mand the removal of 'nearly every moment of overtly gay affectn … regardls of when there is prott om both the creative teams and executive learship at Pixar, '" acrdg to The ntroversy led some fans to pot out that LGBTQ+ folks have always been a part of Disney's succs. \u201cAndreas Deja (who is gay) animated nearly every disney villa durg the Disney Renaissance. 1646685855Queer-dg villas was an easy way for 1900s animatn to signate a character as different, ually saddlg them wh a bunch of cliché, homosexual stereotyp that the dience digts and associat as evil, playg off of history's real-life stigma agast LGBTQ+ folks.

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

But the gays have reclaimed the villas! " Thankfully, gays aren't jt the villas anymore as we have a growg amount of posive reprentatn animatn the days. 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.

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

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.

In the lead up to 2017's Bety and the Beast, Josh Gad's LeFou character was billed as havg Disney's first "exclively gay moment". In the 2017 live-actn Bety and the Beast remake, Gad played LeFou, Gaston's sikick whom director Bill Condon dubbed as Disney's first-ever openly gay character, tellg Attu magaze at the time that the character would have a "nice, exclively gay moment.

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

' My regret what happened is that beme 'Disney's first explicly gay moment' and was never tend to be that, " said Gad, 41. "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. "But is a nice, exclively gay moment a Disney movie.

RELATED VIDEO: Josh Gad on Controversial 'Gay Moment' In Bety and the Beast: 'This Film Is One of Inclivens'.

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. "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.

DISNEY BREAKS NEW GROUND WH GAY SCENE 'BETY AND THE BEAST'

"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.

Also LeFou is not gay enough, " one Twter er sentiment was shared by some LGBT crics and wrers.

BETY AND THE BEAST: DISNEY REF TO CUT GAY SCENE FOR MALAYSIAN RELEASE

"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. "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. By Anna Pujol-MazziLONDON, March 2 (Thomson Rters Foundatn) — Disney will feature s first gay scene when a character is seen stgglg wh his sexualy the live-actn remake of “Bety and the Beast, ” acrdg to the film's film's stars will be heterosexual — Brish actors Emma Watson and Dan Stevens play the tle rol — and manservant LeFou, sikick to the film's macho ma man Gaston, will grapple wh his own More: Fewer Teens Tried to Take Their Liv Once Gay Marriage Was Legal"LeFou is somebody who on one day wants to be Gaston and on another day wants to kiss Gaston, " director Bill Condon told gay magaze Attu an terview published on Wednday.

It is a nice, exclively gay moment a Disney movie, " he told the Brish More: Powerful KissCam Ad Is Like No Other KissCam You’ve Seen BeforeAttu edor--chief Matt Ca said was an important step toward fair reprentatn of LGBT people the media. "By reprentg same-sex attractn this short but explicly gay scene, the stud is sendg out a msage that this is normal and natural — and this is a msage that will be heard every untry of the world, even untri where 's still socially unacceptable or even illegal to be gay, " he More: Stars Speak Out Agast Anti-LGBTQ Bills Texas“Bety and the Beast” tells the story of a prce who is transformed to a beast, and a young woman who is imprisoned his stle, as he tri to w her love.

BETY AND THE BEAST'S JOSH GAD SAYS DISNEY MOVIE DIDN'T 'DO JTICE' FOR GAY REPRENTATN

Disney says will not cut a gay scene om Bety and the Beast for release Malaysia, spe a requt om live-actn film, which stars Emma Watson, had been schled to open cemas Malaysia on Thursday, but Disney fely postponed the film’s release earlier this week after the untry’s Film Censorship Board said would only be approved if the scene was cut. Homosexual activy remas illegal Malaysia, and homosexual characters n only be picted on screen if they show repentance or are portrayed negatively.

“We have approved but there is a mor cut volvg a gay moment.

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 film featur an “exclively gay moment”, where LeFou danc wh another scene has already attracted ntroversy. Josh Gad, who played LeFou the live-actn remake of Bety and the Beast, has cricised the movie for the gay reprentatn supposedly spoke to The Inpennt about his regret over the film, as he was supposed to be part of Disney's first "exclively gay moment, " acrdg to director Bill moment qutn was when Gad's character LeFou danced a crowd wh Gaston (Le Evans), which was supposed to nfirm that LeFou was really love wh the "bte" said: "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 should ld ourselv for, bee ankly, I don't thk we did jtice to what a real gay character a Disney film should be. ""We didn't go far enough to warrant aclas, " Gad said, referrg to news articl praisg Disney for improvg gay reprentatn after 90 years of ignorg LGBTQ+ characters. 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.

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

' 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. 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. Gay viewers seekg mastream self-intifitn the cema have ually had to settle for wkg nuanc and allns, or at worst, the more obliv homoeroticism of sundry Michael Bay-style brawnfts.

'BETY AND THE BEAST' WILL TRODUCE WORLD TO FIRST GAY DISNEY CHARACTER

A flurry of headl – rangg om the overly enthed to the overly outraged – greeted Bety and the Beast director Bill Condon’s announcement Attu magaze that the Moe Hoe’s live-actn remake of their 1991 fairytale smash would boast the pany’s first “exclively gay moment”. History’s first overtly gay Disney character, turns out, is LeFou, unctuo manservant to preeng, hyper-macho villa Gaston – an unrlg who, Condon’s words, “on one day wants to be Gaston and on another day wants to kiss Gaston” obsequ servant who alternat between worshippg and hopelsly sirg his straight master? Wh a name that translat as “madman” and has also been ed as a gay slur French?