The 2017 remake of Disney's "Beauty and the Beast" sparked widespread debate and controversy, not for its enchanting storytelling or musical revival, but for the character LeFou and his supposed representation of LGBTQ themes. This debate shifted the focus from the film's narrative to questions surrounding LeFou's sexuality, creating a media frenzy. Josh Gad, who portrayed LeFou, recently reflected on this controversy, expressing that the film did not go far enough in its portrayal to deserve accolades for LGBTQ representation.
In an interview, Bill Condon, the film's director, described LeFou as a character who alternates between wanting to be Gaston and wanting to kiss Gaston. This description was seen as a political statement, leading to boycotts in several countries. Despite the uproar, the film's box office performance remained unaffected, grossing over $1.2 billion on a budget of approximately $300 million. It also received Academy Award nominations for Best Costume Design and Best Production Design.
Josh Gad addressed the controversy surrounding LeFou's character, stating that he never portrayed LeFou as explicitly gay. He emphasized that the character's devotion to Gaston was meant to be ambiguous. Gad explained that a brief shot of LeFou dancing with another man was intended as a "sweet and innocuous moment," but it was taken out of context.
"LeFou is somebody who on one day wants to be Gaston and on another day wants to kiss Gaston." – Josh Gad
Gad reflected on the film's representation goals, acknowledging that it fell short of making a significant impact in terms of LGBTQ visibility. He noted that the creative team never discussed making LeFou's character explicitly gay.
"We didn’t go far enough to warrant accolades… We didn’t go far enough to say, 'Look how brave we are.'" – Josh Gad
Condon's comments about LeFou were intended to highlight some form of representation in the film but instead led to unexpected backlash. Gad expressed understanding for Condon's situation, noting that he felt pressured to deliver a statement regarding pride in representation.
"felt put on the spot… to share his pride for some form of representation in the film" – Josh Gad
The choreography team had initially planned for LeFou to have a brief dance moment with another male celebrant. This scene, intended as a minor detail, became the focal point of media attention and public discourse. Gad expressed regret over how this moment was labeled and perceived.
"My regret in what happened is that it became 'Disney's first explicitly gay moment' and it was never intended to be that." – Josh Gad
Despite the media storm, Gad maintained that he never played LeFou with a specific sexual orientation in mind. He highlighted the subtlety and complexity of LeFou's character, which he believed contributed to its broad appeal.
"He's confused about what he wants… and Josh makes something really subtle and delicious out of it." – Josh Gad
Looking back, Gad expressed uncertainty about whether LeFou was truly the character the queer community had been anticipating from Disney.
"I for one certainly didn't exactly feel like LeFou was who the queer community had been wistfully waiting for," – Josh Gad
While some applauded the inclusion of a seemingly queer character, others criticized it as insufficient or tokenistic. This dichotomy highlights the challenges faced by major studios when addressing representation in mainstream films.
