Paige O' Hara, the voice of Belle, reminisces about landing the role of the movie's brave and independent heroine, and reflects on how the iconic character changed her life and continues to inspire fans young and old.
Dream come true for her? More like she was a dream come true for me as a childhood! No live remake will beat the original and that voice....just beautiful. And she looks beautiful then and now. This brings tears to my eyes...just brings me back to my childhood. No remake will ever have the same magic as the original had.
Love Paige O’Hara as Belle and Jodi Benson as Ariel, I have so many fond childhood memories of watching these 2 classic movies. Both women are beautiful, inside and out. When Paige talked about Howard Ashman, I cried 😭 taken much too soon. Such a talent x
When I met Paige at Fan Expo Dallas 2018 I told her how much the character of Belle has meant to me for so many years, especially during my early adult years. There was this man who was so much like Gaston. Everyone else considered him to be a hero and the greatest guy around, but I saw his true colors and realized what a brute he really was. Belle made me feel like I wasn't alone when it came to seeing someone for who they truly are even if everyone else adores them.
When she said that art is her second favorite thing to do aside from singing and acting got me. While I like art the most, singing and acting too comes next to it. It really helped me express myself easily than words. No wonder belle is my favorite disney princess.
She is my hero. I grew up with Beauty and the Beast and i have always had a connection to it just like she did. I was always the odd girl in school, the girl who was into classic rock music and everyone else was into hip hop and rap. I also read which not alot of kids in my school did. It was always hard for me to make friends, but i wouldent have asked to be anyone else besides myself because i knew being different or "odd" was a good thing. If everyone was the same then the world would be boring. This movie just basically saved my life. Whenever i felt like giving up or i wasent in my best mood, i would just slip the tape in my VCR player, hit play and instantly i would feel so much better. The music, characters and everything were just so magical to me and i loved it so much. I also have the hair problem Paige had. Its always that one little piece of hair that gets in your face when your doing something lol. I really hope one day i can meet her, i think we would get along really well. I am 17 now and to this day i still watch this movie just as much as i did when i was little. Thank you Paige and everyone else who made this movie such a magical place for me to escape into my own little world and just be myself. From your biggest fan ever!❤😊 -Kayla
When I saw the live action remake with Emma Watson in theaters, and she sang “I want so much more than they have planned” in the reprise of “Provincial Life”, a wave of nostalgia came over me and I cried.
Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King were two of my favorite Disney movies growing up. Paige is so sweet and full of talent!!!! I wish nothing but the best for her :)
I’m so sad she wasn’t able to have children. I’m actually a miracle baby cause my parents worked & struggled for 6 years to have a baby & I was a damn miracle, like conceived naturally & everything. While my parents were struggling to have me, they became close with my dad’s work buddy & his wife who couldn’t have kids. Their names were Gene & Carol. When I was finally born, Gene & Carol were so happy for my parents & my parents brought me to see them all the time so they became like second parents to me. They’ve since both passed away & hearing that Paige & her husband weren’t able to have kids, well here I am! I’m always being adopted by older people as another child, like it wasn’t just Gene & Carol 🤣 they were just the ones I was closest to. & actually my mom is old enough to be my grandma (she had me at 39) & Paige is only 3 years older than my mom so even though Paige is old enough to be my grandma, I’m used to people her age being parental figures so like Paige if you’re reading this, I’m a Belle mini me (brunette & green eyes! I know Belle has hazel eyes but they pass for green so I’m Belle damn it!) & id love to have you as a THIRD mom 😅 & to have singing lessons from her OMG WHAT A DREAM! I’m not a performer but I do sing to myself & try to sing like a Broadway star & even though I don’t do it In front of a lot of people, I’ve been told I’m good. But I could definitely use some singing lessons so Paige, I’m 24, I’m old enough to be your granddaughter but since you’re about the same age as my mom, you don’t look like a grandma to me. You look like a mom (& you’ve stayed looking young like MY mom 😅) so I’ll be your little daughter with an Ethel Merman voice in need of control 🤪 but seriously when I sing, I’m LOUD 🤣🤣 if Howard were alive & heard me sing he’d also say “Ok, Ethel Merman! We’re not on a stage!” 😅 but yeah, Paige O’Hara, Jodi Benson & Susan Egan are my idols & it would be a dream to meet any one of them 🥹
I was a miracle as well. I was born 3 months premature. Had only 5 percent chance to live. I was also a twin sister but she didn't make it 😢. I'm 30 years old now. I also love beauty and the beast and especially love Paige o Hara! I'm sad for Paige and her husband Michael, couldn't have children.😢 Most people take the blessings of having children for granted. There's parents out there that shouldn't be parents, that are horrible to kids! Anyway Paige and Michael would be amazing parents. Paige and her husband are still making a difference in kid's lives, they're possibly filling the void that was left by a kids parents. Being parents a kid never had before . maybe God wants Paige and her husband to help kids , rather than have kids of their own. Some kids don't have parents to love them. I'd love to meet her someday and even her husband Michael.❤
Beauty and The Beast was one of my all time Favorite Disney Romance Movies. A few years ago, I was trying to meet Paige at her Autograph Table at Comic-Con. But security blocked me that she was going to take lunch and I had to come back later. When I caught her getting ready to leave, security tried to shove me away saying she had a plane to catch and didn't have time to say Hi to me or she'll stay behind and want to talk. But her husband Michael came up to me and kindly asked if he could do anything for me. I told him I was bummed I didn't get a chance to meet Paige, and I don't want to hold her up. He immediately told his wife that I wanted to meet her. Paige kindly took a few minutes of her time to come shake my hand and ask how she influenced my life! She also asked if I was a Sports Fan when she saw my Giants Hat! She told me she and her husband lived in Las Vegas and went to a few Golden Knights Games their first year! I'm blessed that Paige had a kind heart not letting security boss her around at Comic-Con. She really loves her Fans!
Do voices like this just not exist anymore or are they more concerned about factors other than beauty, nuance, and expression? Where have the Paige O'Haras, Judy Kuhns, and Jodi Bensons gone? You put them against the voices of today and it is abundantly clear today's voices are a product of the internet age. They lack the rigor of refinement granted in the past.
No hate on Emma though but Paige was and still is the ultimate Belle for me, the depth and the full dimensions she brought to the character are just unbelievably stunning! Emma already did a good job, but could have done better.
But the reality is, Paige O’hara reflects Belle’s gentleness, beauty, and strength through her voice. She makes me cry. Emma was great in Harry Potter, but watching her as Belle makes me cringe. 😭
In all respect Emma wasn't a singer to begin with and was miscast. Disney created beautiful live action sets and costumes but that couldn't rescue the lack of charm, passion, and quality music the original one had. Let's just stay with that forever in our memories. 💛
