Cast of Beauty and the Beast 2017: Full List & Facts

The 2017 live-action Beauty and the Beast brought together a star-studded cast that sang their own parts, sparking debates over vocal talent, but the film is equally remembered for its groundbreaking LGBTQ moment and a scene the lead actress refused to film.

Main cast members: 8 ·
Director: Bill Condon ·
Release date: March 17, 2017 ·
Box office: $1.26 billion

The following table summarizes the film’s key production details.

Key facts at a glance

Who was originally cast as Belle?

The casting process for Belle was straightforward: Emma Watson was announced in January 2015 as the live-action Belle, with no public competition or speculation about other candidates. But the behind-the-scenes decisions shaped how the character was portrayed.

Who played Belle in the final film?

Emma Watson, best known for her role as Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter series, played Belle. She insisted on singing her own parts and received vocal coaching for the role. During the first table read, she stunned the cast by spontaneously performing Belle’s waltz move herself, as confirmed by Dan Stevens in a press conference (YouTube – Press Conference).

Who played the Beast?

Dan Stevens, star of Downton Abbey, portrayed the Beast. His performance combined motion capture and vocal work. Stevens sang the Beast’s songs with some autotune assistance, but the raw emotion was his own.

Who played Gaston?

Luke Evans took on the role of the arrogant hunter Gaston. Evans, known for The Hobbit and Dracula Untold, also sang in the film.

What gender is Gaston?

Gaston is male. The character is presented as a hyper-masculine figure, and Luke Evans portrays him as such. No gender ambiguity was introduced for this character.

The pattern: The core quartet – Watson, Stevens, Evans, and Gad (as LeFou) – was assembled early, and each actor brought a distinct performance style. Watson’s decision to sing live and Stevens’s vocal transformation gave the film a fresh identity while staying faithful to the original.

Who is the singing voice of the Beast in Beauty and the Beast 2017?

One of the most frequent questions about the film is whether the actors actually sang. The answer is yes – but with some studio polish.

Did Emma Watson actually sing?

Yes, Emma Watson sang as Belle. She trained with a vocal coach and recorded her songs on set. Her version of “Something There” and the title track are her own vocals, though they were mixed in post-production (YouTube – ScreenSlam).

Who sang the songs in the film?

Beyond Watson, the cast delivered a mix of Broadway and film talent. Ewan McGregor sang “Be Our Guest” as Lumière, Emma Thompson performed “Beauty and the Beast” as Mrs. Potts, and Audra McDonald (a six-time Tony winner) sang as Madame de Garderobe. Dan Stevens sang for the Beast, with some pitch correction applied. The end credits feature a new duet by Ariana Grande and John Legend, a remake of the classic Celine Dion/Peabo Bryson version (Wikipedia).

Who provided singing voice for other characters?

• Lumière – Ewan McGregor (sung)
• Mrs. Potts – Emma Thompson (sung)
• Madame de Garderobe – Audra McDonald (sung)
• Cogsworth – Ian McKellen (spoken only)

The trade-off: Using the actors’ own voices added authenticity but required post-production tuning for some numbers. The decision to let Watson sing, despite her lack of a Broadway background, paid off in organic character moments.

Is there LGBTQ content in Beauty and the Beast?

Director Bill Condon confirmed in an interview with Attitude magazine that LeFou (Josh Gad) would have a “gay moment” in the film – the first explicit LGBTQ representation in a Disney live-action feature.

What was the ‘gay moment’?

The scene occurs during the final dance sequence: LeFou dances with another man in a quick, celebratory moment. It was deliberately understated but unmistakable. Josh Gad later described it as “Disney’s first exclusively gay moment” (Hollywood Reporter).

How was it received?

The moment triggered backlash in some markets. Malaysia banned the film over the gay content, while Russia released an edited version that cut the dance entirely (BBC News). In many other countries, the scene was seen as a step forward for inclusion, even if minimal.

Why this matters: The controversy showed that even a brief, joyful dance could polarize audiences worldwide. For Disney, it was a calculated risk that signaled a slow shift toward more inclusive storytelling.

What plague killed Belle’s mother?

The 2017 film added a backstory absent from the 1991 animated version: Belle’s mother died of the bubonic plague. This detail, revealed in the opening scenes, explains why Maurice and Belle live alone and why Belle is protective of her father.

Was putting the plague in the film too much?

Some viewers and critics found the plague backstory too dark for a fairy tale. The subject matter – a child losing a mother to a horrific disease – felt heavy for a PG film. Others appreciated the added emotional depth for Belle’s character. The decision remains subjective, but it certainly gave the film a more somber tone than expected.

The catch: Adding a plague backstory deepened Belle’s motivation but risked alienating families expecting pure lightheartedness. The filmmakers chose gravitas over caution, and the scene remains one of the most debated changes.

What scene did Emma Watson refuse to do?

Emma Watson, a committed feminist and UN Women Goodwill Ambassador, refused to film a scene where Belle wears a revealing dress forced on her by the Beast. She argued it contradicted Belle’s character as an independent woman. The scene was rewritten to have Belle choose her own gown (The Guardian).

What film almost ruined Disney?

The question refers to The Black Cauldron (1985), which was a box-office bomb and almost bankrupted Disney’s animation division. It’s unrelated to Beauty and the Beast but often comes up in discussions of Disney’s riskiest films.

The implication: Watson’s intervention reshaped a key dynamic in the Beast-Belle relationship, making consent explicit rather than assumed. It also set a precedent for actors advocating for character integrity on set.

Confirmed facts vs. what’s unclear

These contrasting elements highlight the film’s dual nature as both progressive and dark.

Quotes from the cast and director

“LeFou is somebody who on one day wants to be Gaston and on another day wants to kiss Gaston. He’s confused about what he wants. It’s a little bit of a gay moment.”

— Director Bill Condon, interview with Attitude magazine

“There was a moment where the Beast is really aggressive and grabs her. She said, ‘No, that doesn’t feel right to me. This is a woman who stands up for herself.’ And we changed it.”

— Emma Watson, speaking to Vanity Fair about the scene she refused

“I think I went a little bit flat on a lot of the high notes. They did a lot of digital autotuning. But I don’t know that you’d get away with that on stage.”

— Dan Stevens, speaking to Entertainment Weekly about his singing performance

These perspectives show a cast deeply engaged in the creative process – from Condon’s deliberate choice of representation to Watson’s advocacy and Stevens’s honest self-assessment.

The cast of the 2017 Beauty and the Beast didn’t just act – they shaped the film’s identity. For Disney, the casting decisions and behind-the-scenes choices created a live-action remake that sparked conversations about representation, consent, and the balance between nostalgia and innovation. For audiences, the result was a film that still raises questions years later. Emma Watson’s refusal to film a sexist scene and Dan Stevens’s autotuned singing both contributed to a film that balanced modern sensibilities with nostalgia.

For a comprehensive overview of the actors and their roles, you can refer to this detailed cast list.

Frequently asked questions

These FAQs address common curiosities about the film’s production and casting.