Belle (Beauty and the Beast) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Belle |
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| Beauty and the Beast character | |
Belle as she appears in Disney's Beauty and the Beast.
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| First appearance | Beauty and the Beast (1991) |
| Created by | Linda Woolverton |
| Portrayed by |
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| Voiced by |
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| Based on | Beauty from the Gabrielle-Suzanne de Villeneuve's fairy tale |
| Information | |
| Affiliation | Disney Princesses |
| Family | Maurice (father) |
| Spouse(s) | Beast |
| Children | Ben (Descendants) |
| Nationality | French |
Belle is a character from Walt Disney Pictures' animated movie Beauty and the Beast (1991). She was first voiced by Paige O'Hara. Belle is different from others in her village. She loves to read and dreams of adventure.
When her father, Maurice, is taken prisoner by a scary Beast, Belle bravely offers to take his place. She learns to look past the Beast's scary outside and finds a kind heart within him.
The creators of the movie wanted Belle to be a strong and active heroine. They were inspired by the women's rights movement. They wanted Belle to be different from earlier Disney princesses. She was designed to be a feminist character.
Belle's love for books and her strength were inspired by actress Katharine Hepburn's role as Jo March in the movie Little Women. The writers wanted Belle to have goals beyond just finding romance. Her elegant movements were inspired by ballerinas in paintings. Her face was inspired by actresses like Vivien Leigh and Audrey Hepburn. Other actresses like Natalie Wood, Elizabeth Taylor, and Grace Kelly also inspired her look.
Critics have praised Belle for being brave, smart, and independent. She is the fifth Disney Princess. Many see her as one of Disney's best characters. She is known for helping to create a new type of independent film heroine. Belle was even nominated as one of the greatest heroes in film by the American Film Institute.
Belle also appears in other Beauty and the Beast movies and TV shows. Actress Susan Egan first played Belle in the Broadway musical. She was nominated for a Tony Award for her role. Emma Watson played Belle in the live-action movie in 2017.
Contents
Belle's Story and Appearances
In Films and TV Shows
Belle first appeared in the 1991 animated movie Beauty and the Beast. She is a beautiful girl who loves to read. While people in her village admire her beauty, they find her love for books and different ideas strange. She feels bored with her quiet life and wants adventure. A proud hunter named Gaston constantly tries to marry her, but Belle is not interested.
One day, her father's horse returns without him. Belle rides into the woods to find him. She discovers her father is a prisoner in a castle belonging to a Beast. Belle trades her freedom for her father's. She promises to stay with the Beast and his enchanted servants forever.
Belle's curiosity leads her to a forbidden part of the castle. There, she finds an enchanted rose. This rose is connected to the Beast's fate. The Beast becomes very angry, causing Belle to run away. Wolves attack her in the woods, but the Beast saves her. Belle then helps the injured Beast back to the castle.
Even though she first dislikes him, Belle slowly starts to accept the Beast. She becomes his friend. Their strong bond makes Gaston jealous. He leads a mob to the castle and hurts the Beast. Gaston then falls to his own death. Belle tells the Beast she loves him just in time. This breaks the spell that an enchantress had placed on him. The Beast then turns back into a handsome prince.
More Adventures
In Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas (1997), Belle tries to bring back the Christmas spirit to the castle. The Beast dislikes Christmas. A pipe organ named Forte tries to stop Belle and the Beast from becoming closer. He wants to keep the Beast sad and dependent on him. Forte tricks Belle, and she almost drowns while getting a Christmas tree. The Beast saves her but wrongly blames her for trying to escape. He locks her up. When the Beast learns the truth, they forgive each other. Belle helps him stop Forte from destroying the castle.
Beauty and the Beast: Belle's Magical World (1998) shows Belle interacting with the Beast and his enchanted staff. The movie teaches lessons about forgiveness, friendship, and respect.
In Belle's Tales of Friendship (1999), Belle owns a bookstore. She teaches children important lessons by reading and retelling classic stories. In this movie, Belle appears in both animated and live-action forms. Paige O'Hara voices the animated Belle, and Lyndsey McLeod plays the live-action version. McLeod also played Belle in the TV series Sing Me a Story with Belle (1995–1996). In this show, Belle owns a music and bookshop where she tells stories to children.
Belle also appeared in the animated TV series Disney's House of Mouse and its movies. Jodi Benson voiced Belle in the TV series.
A live-action version of Belle is a main character in the TV series Once Upon a Time. She is played by Emilie de Ravin. Another live-action Belle appeared in the 2015 TV movie Descendants. In this movie, she is the Queen of the United States of Auradon and is played by Keegan Connor Tracy. Belle also made a quick appearance in the TV series Sofia the First in 2013.
Belle in the 2017 Live-Action Film
In 2015, Emma Watson announced she would play Belle in the live-action movie released in 2017. This was the first Disney remake where a famous actress played a Disney princess. As a feminist, Watson suggested some changes to Belle's character. For example, she asked for boots instead of ballet slippers for village scenes. This made Belle seem more practical. She also wanted the golden gown to allow more movement, so it didn't have a tight corset.
Thanks to Watson's ideas, Belle in the 2017 movie is not just a bookworm. She is also an inventor, like her father. She uses her inventions to help with chores, which gives her more time to read. The movie also explains that Belle's mother died when Belle was a baby. This makes her father, Maurice, very protective. He doesn't want Belle to leave the village. He even makes music boxes with tunes from faraway places to help her imagine adventures.
Emma Watson won awards for her role as Belle, including the MTV Movie Award for Best Performance.
On Broadway
Belle was a main character in the Broadway musical version of Beauty and the Beast. Actress Susan Egan was the first to play Belle on Broadway. She was nominated for a Tony Award for her performance. Many actresses have played Belle on Broadway, including singers Debbie Gibson and Toni Braxton.
Toni Braxton was the first and only African American actress to play Belle on Broadway. The song "A Change in Me" was written especially for her. It was so popular that it has been included in the musical ever since.
Other Appearances
Belle, the Beast, and Chip appeared at the 64th Academy Awards as presenters. Belle also made a short appearance in Disney's movie The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996).
She is one of the seven Princesses of Heart in the Kingdom Hearts video game series.
Belle has also been the main character in many comic books based on the film. Some comics tell stories about her time at the castle. Others are prequels, showing her life before the movie.
Belle and other characters from the movie appear in the stage show, Beauty and the Beast Live on Stage at Disney's Hollywood Studios in Walt Disney World. Belle and the Beast also have a special meet-and-greet attraction at Magic Kingdom called Enchanted Tales with Belle.
Belle, along with other Disney Princesses, appeared in the movie Ralph Breaks the Internet. Paige O'Hara returned to voice Belle for this film.
Images for kids
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Belle, as she appears in the Disney Parks
See also
In Spanish: Bella (Disney) para niños
