Josh Gad talks about Beauty and the Beast’s ‘gay moment’
BEAUTY and the Beast has been threatened with bans across the world because of a ‘gay moment’. The actor at its centre, Josh Gad, reveals what he’d say to those seeking to boycott the film.
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YOU studied at NIDA in Sydney the mid-noughties and have now returned triumphant — voice of Olaf in Frozen, star of the new Beauty and the Beast ... Any old acquaintances chasing you for money?
(Laughing) You know what? I realised most of the people I went to NIDA with are living in Los Angeles now.
The “exclusively gay moment” that director Bill Condon teased in Beauty and the Beast blew up into a huge story. What would you say to any cinema or country threatening not to show the film because of that “moment”?
I would say ... let the movie speak for itself. Everybody who has seen the film realises this story has been so blown out of proportion. I’m thrilled that people are finally getting to put everything in context. At (the movie’s) core are some really amazing themes, the most important of which is this idea of not judging the book by its cover. Gaston whips the villagers into a frenzy to go attack this Beast that they’ve never met, yet they fear because of what it might be capable of. Now more than ever those themes are very relevant.
How does your Le Fou differ from the animated character who was, let’s face it, a buffoon?
The original Le Fou, while iconic, all of his comedy comes from being the butt of the joke physically — he gets thrown across the room by Gaston, he has his head sat on by multiple animals, he has his teeth knocked out ... That’s not something I cared to play in a live-action film. So what I discussed with Bill was, if Le Fou in the original movie is dumb as a box, what if we made him dumb as a fox? Meaning he’s actually smarter than he lets on. He starts to question if the real beast isn’t the one with the fur but the one who looks like you and I.
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Dan Stevens had to learn to walk on stilts to play the Beast. What new skills were required of you for Le Fou?
There’s something called horseback riding that I’m not a big fan of ... The first day I saw very troubling signs when the horse immediately threw me on to the floor. I asked Disney if there was any way to use their technology to CGI me on a horse, and they said no. This horse hated me. At the end of the day we got what we needed. But I do have an injunction against him and I plan on filing a law suit.
The horse probably would have sat on your head if you’d asked nicely.
It wasn’t for lack of trying. The horse basically did everything he wasn’t supposed to do. While my objective was to ride on the horse elegantly, his objective was to put me in a hospital.
You’re a song and dance man from way back, so that part must have been easy.
Coming from Broadway, the greatest thrill has been applying those skills on a movie set. It is still very rare to do a live-action musical. I was thinking: my daughters, who are six and three, have never seen a big, live action musical on the silver screen in their lives. That to me is crazy. I’m hoping with the success of La La Land, and hopefully of Beauty and the Beast, these will be the first of a wave of big musicals that can fill cinemas in the same way we have a barrage of superhero movies.
More musicals would keep you employed, too …
Why do you think I’m begging through your readership to have more musicals?
What did your girls think of Beauty and the Beast?
They immediately asked if they could go see it again. Unfortunately I did make the mistake of asking who their favourite character was and instead of Le Fou I got: Belle, Belle’s father, Villager No. 5, the horse that Daddy rode on, who clearly hated Daddy ... I was about 35 on the list. But the good news is they loved it and at the centre of the movie is one of the great female Disney characters. Belle, as embodied by Emma Watson, is independent, fiercely intelligent, her superpower is that she reads non-stop ... I’m so proud to be associated with that.
Le Fou’s job in life is basically to fuel the ego of Gaston. Was it easy for you to fall in man-love with your Gaston, Luke Evans?
(Laughs) Luke is an amazing partner in crime. A lot of people don’t know this but Luke got his start in the West End — one of the first shows he did was Avenue Q. And having been a part of Book Of Mormon, I can tell you first-hand it is a comedy masterclass to sing the lyrics of Bobby Lopez. So we had the best time.
For an American, you’ve sure been hobnobbing with a lot of British nobility lately — Sir Ian McKellen on Beauty and the Beast, Sir Kenneth Branagh and Dame Judy Dench on Murder on the Orient Express. Is it rubbing off on you?
I’m hoping through my proximity to these people that the Queen one day knights me. I know it’s a long shot, but if I get enough pictures with Dames and Sirs, I hope I can at least become a Duke.
And so it ends. #DaisyRidley #StarWars Give us the truth pic.twitter.com/o4d429ydzL
— Josh Gad (@joshgad) February 20, 2017
It appears you spent most of your downtime on Orient Express trying to get Daisy Ridley to dish on the next Star Wars. Did you get anything out of her?
(Sighs) Not for lack of trying. Daisy has really read through that contract with a fine-tooth comb. She knows the Disney lawyers are going to put her in a Mickey Mouse themed prison if she speaks too much.
BEAUTY AND THE BEAST OPENS TODAY
Originally published as Josh Gad talks about Beauty and the Beast’s ‘gay moment’
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