A tale as old as time, well maybe not as old as time, but A conversation with Jesse Corti – the voice of LeFou – about the 25th Anniversary of Beauty and the Beast. Do you remember where you were when you first time you heard the Beauty and the Beast’s intro score? I do and it seems like it was just yesterday we were introduced to Belle, Beast, Gaston, Mrs. Potts, Cogsworth, Lefou, and the other beloved classic Disney characters. Speaking of LeFou, a few days ago, I had the amazing opportunity to be “His Quest” during his recent visit to Miami to host a special 25th Anniversary screening of the film. During our time, he shared with us a few anecdotes about his audition process and how he relates to Belle the most out of any characters in the film.
An arrogant young prince (Robby Benson) and his castle’s servants fall under the spell of a wicked enchantress, who turns him into the hideous Beast until he learns to love and be loved in return. The spirited, headstrong village girl Belle (Paige O’Hara) enters the Beast’s castle after he imprisons her father Maurice (Rex Everhart). With the help of his enchanted servants, including the matronly Mrs. Potts (Angela Lansbury), Belle begins to draw the cold-hearted Beast out of his isolation.
Beauty and the Beast 25th Anniversary:
A Conversation with Jesse Corti (AKA LeFou)
If you are like me and love all things Disney, I have a bit of trivia for you! Did you know that Jesse Corti was born and raised in Venezuela and that he voiced LeFou in the English and Spanish versions of the film? Yes, that’s right! Jessie is also a well-known Broadway and TV actor. But as Jesse Corti himself expressed to us, he feels nothing but blessed and fortunate to have been part of such a Disney classic. As I said before, Jessie not only feels fortunate to continue to be part of this iconic film but he also relates the most with Belle. Yes, you read that correctly. Jessi told us that yes, he loves LeFou because of his relationship with Gaston and because LeFou is a happy and positive guy. But admits that he identifies the most with Belle, mostly because she is a strong individual and shows that beauty is only skin deep. One last thing Jesse shared with us is that just like Disney movies, it is all about family. His kids grew up loving Beauty and the Beast and when they were young and participated in career day, he would take a clip of the film and explained to the kids how it all worked. If you are wondering which princess is Jesse and his family favorite. Well, that’s easy, the answer is BELLE!
Twenty-five years ago, Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast” broke ground as the first animated feature film to receive an Academy Award® nomination for best picture, and now this tale as old as time joins the Walt Disney Signature Collection on Digital HD and Disney Movies Anywhere, and on Blu-ray™ and DVD now.
Disclosure: I was provided with the information in this post by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. No compensation was received.