“Beauty and the Beast” star Josh Gad says the Disney film’s “gay moment” between his character LeFou and the villainous Gaston is an important reminder to the audience about “never judging a book by its cover,” which is, essentially, the moral of the classic story.
“What I would say is that this film is one of inclusiveness,” the actor tells People Magazine. “It’s one that has something to offer everyone.”
The remake has LeFou doing the same musical boasts of Gaston’s many talents that Disney fans know him for, but with a twist. LeFou’s admiration of the roguish, conceited man he follows everywhere is taken a step further and becomes a full-on crush.
LeFou’s sexuality has made headlines in the run-up to the film’s release, sparking both applause and condemnation, with one movie theater in Alabama announcing it would not screen the film and Russian banning it over possible “gay propaganda.”
But Gad is standing by the tweak made to his character, teasing a “subtle but effective” scene in the film’s finale and speaking about the relevance of Gaston’s villainy to today’s society.
“…you have a character in Gaston who uses his charm offensive to whip other people into a frenzy to go and attack somebody they’ve never met,” Gad said. “Somebody that’s different. Somebody that only represents a danger because [Gaston] says that he represents a danger. I think that that theme is as relevant today as it was when ‘Beauty and the Beast’ was first written 300 years ago.”
“Fear is not a good thing to fuel, and Gaston is responsible for that. But he fails — he fails miserably, and everybody finds love. Everyone!”
Does that “everyone” include LeFou? We’ll find out when “Beauty and the Beast” hits theaters March 17.