Disney's live-action Beauty & The Beast hasn't hit theaters yet, but it's already stirring up controversy. First, there was that whole Stockholm Syndrome thing. Then, there were those lyrical changes. Next, news came of the film's "exclusively gay moment." That move may be the most controversial — even prompting an Alabama drive-in to boycott the film — but actor Josh Gad is proud of Disney for including it.
For those not up to speed, in the 2017 remake of the animated classic, LeFou, played by Gad, is gay. While the classic 1991 cartoon makes no mention of this, the new film adds makes it more explicit — though not by much. And through the criticism, Gad is happy to have been a part of it and tells the Associated Press that he's proud.
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"I’m very proud of it," he says of his the new LeFou. And while we don't want to spoil the big reveal at the end of the film, Gad says, "It's an incredible moment, and it's subtle, but I think it's effective."
Gad wasn't the only one discussing LeFou at the premiere. The film's director, Bill Condon, said that he wanted to make the relationship between LeFou and Gaston as real as possible. He saw it as an opportunity to highlight the admiration LeFou has for his friend and the possibility of a deeper connection.
"It was something we developed as a part of a lot of things about LeFou," Condon told Variety. "I'm excited for the moment that he has. I don’t want to give too much away because I think it's part of a whole celebration of love, but Disney's been great about it. That's the thing; the whole ethic of that company is inclusion."
Gaston himself weighed in, too. At the premiere, Luke Evans says that the film is about unity and love. Whether that's between Belle and the Beast, LeFou and his beau, or Gaston and his reflection, we can all agree with that.