document_title: List of Australian of the Year Award recipients

question_text: who was named australian of the year this year

text: The Australian of the Year Award is given annually on Australia Day. The announcement of the award has become a major public event in Australia, and is televised nationwide. The award "offers an insight into Australian identity, reflecting the nation's evolving relationship with world, the role of sport in Australian culture, the impact of multiculturalism, and the special status of Australia's Indigenous people".[1] The award is unique in that it is sponsored by a national government and commands broad public support.

text: The following is a list of the recipients of the Australian of the Year award.[2][3]

text:
Year of
award
Name
Post
nominals
Born
Died
Comments

1960
Sir Burnet, MacfarlaneMacfarlane Burnet
OM
1899
1985
Virologist; 1960 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine co-recipient

1961
Sutherland, JoanJoan Sutherland
CBE
1926
2010
Opera singer

1962
Sturrock, JockJock Sturrock

1915
1997
Yachtsman

1963
Sir Eccles, JohnJohn Eccles

1903
1997
Neurophysiologist; 1963 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine co-recipient

1964
Fraser, DawnDawn Fraser

1937

Swimmer; gold medal winner at 1956, 1960 and 1964 Summer Olympic Games

1965
Helpmann, RobertRobert Helpmann
CBE
1909
1986
Actor; ballet dancer; director

1966
Brabham, JackJack Brabham
OBE
1926
2014
Racing driver; Formula One champion in 1959, 1960 and 1966

1967
Seekers, TheThe Seekers

N/A

Music group

1968
Rose, LionelLionel Rose
MBE
1948
2011
Boxer; first Aboriginal Australian to win world boxing title (1968)

1969
Casey, LordLord Casey
GCMG, CH, DSO, MC, PC
1890
1976
Politician, diplomat, Governor-General of Australia (1965–1969)

1970
Cardinal Sir Gilroy, NormanNorman Gilroy
KBE
1896
1977
Clergyman; first Australian-born Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church

1971
Goolagong, EvonneEvonne Goolagong

1951

Tennis player

1972
Gould, ShaneShane Gould

1956

Swimmer; winner of three gold medals, a silver and bronze in 1972 Summer Olympics

1973
White, PatrickPatrick White

1912
1990
Author; 1973 Nobel Prize for Literature recipient

1974
Sir Heinze, BernardBernard Heinze

1894
1982
Conductor

1975
Cornforth, JohnJohn Cornforth
AC, CBE
1917
2013
Scientist; 1975 Nobel Prize in Chemistry recipient

MAJGEN Stretton, AlanAlan Stretton
AO, CBE
1922
2012
Australian Army officer; managed Cyclone Tracy cleanup

1976
LTCOL Sir Dunlop, EdwardEdward "Weary" Dunlop
CMG, OBE
1907
1993
Military surgeon; World War II prisoner of war

1977
Roe, RaighRaigh Roe
CBE
1922
2014
President of the Country Women's Association

Sir Tyrrell, MurrayMurray Tyrrell
KCVO, CBE
1913
1994
Official Secretary to six Governors-General

1978
Bond, AlanAlan Bond

1938
2015
Businessman

Yunupingu, GalarrwuyGalarrwuy Yunupingu

1948

Native title activist

1979
Bonner, NevilleNeville Bonner

1922
1999
First Aboriginal elected to the Parliament of Australia

Butler, HarryHarry Butler
OBE
1930
2015
Naturalist

1980
Clark, ManningManning Clark
AC
1915
1991
Historian

1981
Sir Crawford, JohnJohn Crawford

1910
1984
Economist

1982
Sir Williams, EdwardEdward Williams
KCMG, KBE, QC
1921
1999
Judge of the Supreme Court of Queensland; chairman of the 1982 Brisbane Commonwealth Games Foundation

1983
de Castella, RobertRobert de Castella
MBE
1957

Marathon runner

1984
O'Donoghue, LowitjaLowitja O'Donoghue
CBE
1932

Aboriginal health worker; inaugural chairperson of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (1990–1996)

1985
Hogan, PaulPaul Hogan

1939

Actor

1986
Smith, DickDick Smith

1944

Entrepreneur

1987
Farnham, JohnJohn Farnham
AO
1949

Singer, entertainer

1988
Cottee, KayKay Cottee
AO
1954

First female sailor to perform a single-handed, non-stop circumnavigation of the world (1988)

1989
Border, AllanAllan Border
AO
1955

Australian cricket team captain

1990
Hollows, FredFred Hollows

1921
1993
Ophthalmologist; founder of The Fred Hollows Foundation

1991
Hollingworth, PeterPeter Hollingworth
AC, OBE
1935

Bishop; head, Brotherhood of St Laurence

1992
Yunupingu, MandawuyMandawuy Yunupingu

1956
2013
Singer, Yothu Yindi

1993
No award made: award dating system changed

1994
Kiernan, IanIan Kiernan
OAM
1940

Environmentalist; founder of Clean Up Australia and Clean Up the World

1995
Boyd, ArthurArthur Boyd
AC, OBE
1920
1999
Painter

1996
Yu, JohnJohn Yu
AM
1934

Paediatrician

1997
Doherty, PeterPeter Doherty
AC
1940

Veterinarian; immunologist; 1996 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine recipient

1998
Freeman, CathyCathy Freeman

1973

Athlete; also Young Australian of the Year in 1990

1999
Taylor, MarkMark Taylor
AO
1964

Australian cricket team captain

2000
Sir Nossal, GustavGustav Nossal
AC, CBE
1931

Biologist

2001
LTGEN Cosgrove, PeterPeter Cosgrove
AC, MC
1947

Commander of the International Force for East Timor (1999-2000)
Chief of Army (2000–02)
Chief of the Defence Force (2002–05)
Governor-General of Australia (2014–present)

2002
Rafter, PatPat Rafter

1972

Tennis player

2003
Stanley, FionaFiona Stanley
AC
1946

Epidemiologist

2004
Waugh, SteveSteve Waugh
AO
1965

Australian cricket team captain and humanitarian

2005
Wood, FionaFiona Wood
AM
1958

Plastic surgeon; worked with victims of the 2002 Bali bombings

2006
Frazer, IanIan Frazer

1953

Immunologist

2007
Flannery, TimTim Flannery

1956

Scientist; global warming activist

2008
Kernaghan, LeeLee Kernaghan
OAM
1964

Singer

2009
Dodson, MickMick Dodson
AM
1950

Indigenous leader

2010
McGorry, PatrickPatrick McGorry
AO
1953

Psychiatrist[4]

2011
McKeon, SimonSimon McKeon
AO
1955

Philanthropist businessman[5]

2012
Rush, GeoffreyGeoffrey Rush

1951

Australian actor and film producer[6]

2013
Buttrose, ItaIta Buttrose
AO, OBE
1942

Australian journalist and businesswoman, founding editor of Cleo[7]

2014
Goodes, AdamAdam Goodes

1980

Australian rules footballer and indigenous community leader

2015
Batty, RosieRosie Batty

1962

Domestic violence campaigner[8]

2016
LTGEN Morrison, DavidDavid Morrison
AO
1956

Commitment to gender equality, diversity and inclusion[9]

2017
Mackay-Sim, AlanAlan Mackay-Sim

1951

Biomedical scientist treating spinal cord injuries


document_title: Wayne Brady

question_text: who does wayne brady play in sofia the first

root

text: Wayne Brady

text: Early life[edit]

text: Brady was born in Columbus, Georgia,[1] to West Indian parents,[2] and moved to Orlando, Florida, as a young child to live with his grandmother and aunt. Brady refers to his grandmother, Valerie Petersen, as his "mom", since she raised him.[3][4]

tag: p

text: Brady is second cousin to professional footballer Jozy Altidore[citation needed] who currently plays for Toronto FC.[5]

text: At 16, Brady started performing in community theater and at the Orlando improv troupe SAK Comedy Lab, where he first started developing his improv skills. He attended Dr. Phillips High School in Orlando, where he graduated in 1989. In 1990, he enrolled at the University of Miami.[6] In 1996, he moved to Los Angeles, where he continued developing his acting skills.[7]

text: Career[edit]

text: This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (January 2018) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

tag: table

text: Brady's career began as one of the improvisational theater performers in the original (British) version of Whose Line Is It Anyway?, along with Ryan Stiles, Colin Mochrie, and host Clive Anderson in 1998 when the last season was filmed in Hollywood, after which he became a regular on the American version, hosted by Drew Carey, which was his first stateside television exposure.

text: In 2003, Brady won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program for his work on the show, the only person to win the award for a television series, as opposed to a special, since Dana Carvey in 1993.

text: He went on to star in his own ABC variety show in 2001, The Wayne Brady Show, and a daytime talk show of the same name in 2002, which lasted two seasons and won four Daytime Emmy Awards, two of which went to Brady for Outstanding Talk Show Host. Brady guest-starred on The Drew Carey Show in 1999 and 2000 to take part in "Drew Live" and "Drew Live II". On the show, Brady played several games taken from Whose Line Is It Anyway? for the two episodes with other characters.

text: In 2004, Brady joined the Broadway revival of Chicago, playing the role of lawyer Billy Flynn. He appeared briefly in the final episode of the 2004 season of the comedy Reno 911!. He guest-starred on the Sci Fi Channel's hit series Stargate SG-1 as Trelak, the first prime of Goa'uld System Lord Ares. He made an appearance on Chappelle's Show, poking fun at his squeaky-clean persona.[8]

text: Brady wrote and sang the theme song for Disney's animated series The Weekenders. In 2005, he sang and recorded Jim Brickman's original Disney song "Beautiful" (a cover of All-4-One's 2002 hit "Beautiful As You") and its Christmas version.[9]

text: In 2006, Brady became the host of TV Land's That's What I'm Talking About, a talk show discussing the role of African-Americans in the entertainment industry. From August 29 to September 29, 2006, Brady hosted the Fox show Celebrity Duets.

text: Brady made several guest appearances on the CBS sitcom How I Met Your Mother, playing James Stinson, the gay brother of Neil Patrick Harris's character, Barney Stinson. Brady has also appeared as a guest star for the MTV show Wild 'N Out, and lent his voice to the Adult Swim show Robot Chicken.

text: Brady guest-starred in the CBC comedy, Getting Along Famously, alongside his Whose Line is It Anyway? costar Colin Mochrie. He has also appeared on the episode "You Don't Know Jack" on the television show Dirt, and also guest-starred on 30 Rock as Steven Black, Liz Lemon's date for the Source Awards. He co-hosted the short-lived VH1 show Vinyl Justice in 1998. In 2007, he starred in the ABC Family film The List. He starred in Flirt, a comedy pilot which was not picked up by the network.[10]

text: Brady guest-starred as Julius Rock's gifted younger brother, Louis, in the sitcom Everybody Hates Chris, and hosted a singing game show called Don't Forget the Lyrics! on Fox until its cancellation in June 2009. He performs "Wayne Brady: Making $%!^ up" at the Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada four nights a week.[11]

text: He appeared on two episodes of Kevin Hill. Brady's debut album was released on September 16, 2008. Brady's version of Sam Cooke's "A Change is Gonna Come" earned him a Grammy Award nomination in the Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance category.[12]

text: Brady started hosting an updated version of the game show Let's Make a Deal for CBS in October 2009, which taped at the Tropicana Resort and Casino in Las Vegas and currently tapes in Los Angeles. The show replaced the soap opera Guiding Light, which ended its long-time run. The original host of Let's Make a Deal was Monty Hall, who served as consultant for the new show until his death in 2017. Drew Carey currently hosts The Price Is Right, and thus, both game shows in the CBS daytime lineup (as of September 2017) hold the distinction of being hosted by an alumnus of Whose Line Is It Anyway?

text: Brady was the guest host on the May 3, 2010, episode of WWE Raw, where he was involved in an in-ring segment with Edge and Randy Orton, eventually getting RKO'd by Orton. Later that year, in August, Brady played the role of Tom Collins in a staged production of Rent at the Hollywood Bowl. The production was directed by Neil Patrick Harris.[13]

text: Brady appeared alongside Let's Make a Deal announcer Jonathan Mangum in two episodes of Fast and Loose, a new improvisational series on BBC2 hosted by Hugh Dennis, in January 2011. Then, with Holly Robinson Peete, he co-hosted the 42nd annual NAACP Image Awards on March 4, 2011.[14]

text: On May 3, 2011, he appeared on Dancing With The Stars as the lead performer in a tribute to James Brown, celebrating what would have been Brown's 78th birthday in the Macy's Stars of Dance segment. He has also been a special guest of Drew Carey's Improv-A-Ganza on GSN.

text: Brady made a cameo in the 2011 song "Dedication To My Ex (Miss That)" by Lloyd featuring Lil Wayne and Andre 3000, narrating Lil Wayne's section of the song. He appeared as a special guest star in the March 14, 2012, episode of the TV series Psych.

text: Brady starred in the 2012 ABC improvisational comedy series Trust Us with Your Life, and returned for the revival of Whose Line Is It Anyway? in the summer of 2013.[15][16]

text: Brady guest-starred as Don in the Phineas and Ferb episode, "Where's Pinky?" on June 7, 2013, and for one week February 9 to 13, 2015, guest host on The Late Late Show on CBS.

text: In November 2015, Brady replaced Billy Porter as Lola in Kinky Boots on Broadway.[17][18]

text: Brady assumed the lead role of Aaron Burr in the PrivateBank Theatre production of Hamilton in Chicago from January 17 to April 9, 2017.[19][20]

text: Personal life[edit]

text: Brady has been married twice. He married Diana Lasso on December 31, 1993. They divorced on September 21, 1995. On April 3, 1999, he married dancer Mandie Taketa. He and Taketa have one child, a daughter named Maile Masako Brady, born on February 3, 2003. Brady and Taketa separated on April 5, 2006, and Taketa filed for divorce on July 2, 2007.[21]

text: In 2007, Brady became an official supporter of Ronald McDonald House Charities and is a member of their celebrity board, the Friends of RMHC.[22]

text: In 2013, Bill Maher compared Brady to President Barack Obama, in that they were both supposedly "not black enough". Brady took issue with this statement, suggesting that Maher should "be careful when you make statements like that because it will allow his viewers to make the same stereotypical assumptions about black people."[23]

text: As a child, Wayne struggled with stuttering due to a great deal of anxiety he felt from being bullied by other children.[24]

text: Wayne stated in a November 2014 Entertainment Tonight interview that he suffers from clinical depression and that he suffered a mental breakdown on his 42nd birthday. He credits Taketa for helping him recover.[25]

text: Filmography[edit]

text: Film[edit]

text:
Year
Title
Role
Notes

2003
The Electric Piper
Sly (voice)
Television film

2004
Clifford's Really Big Movie
Shackelford (voice)

2004
Going to the Mat
Mason Wyatt

2005
Roll Bounce
D.J. Johnny Feelgood

2006
Stuart Little 3: Call of the Wild
Reeko (voice)
Direct-to-video

2007
The List
Lewis

2012
Foodfight!
Daredevil Dan (voice)

2013
Scooby-Doo! Stage Fright
Brik Pimlento (voice)
Direct-to-video

2013
1982
Alonzo

2014
The Hero of Color City
Blue (voice)

2015
VeggieTales: Noah's Ark
Shem (voice)
Direct-to-video

2016
Todrick Hall: Straight Outta Oz
Todrick's Father
Visual Album

text: Television[edit]

text:
Year
Title
Role
Notes

1990
Superboy
John
Episode: "The Sons of Icarus"

1993
I'll Fly Away
Damon
2 episodes

1993
In the Heat of the Night
Henry Ulmer
Episode: "Hatton's Turn" (Parts 1 & 2)

1997–1999
Kwik Witz
Himself
Syndicated improv

1998
Whose Line Is It Anyway? (UK)
Himself
3 episodes in series 10

1998–2006,
2013–present
Whose Line Is It Anyway? (US)
Himself
Starring: seasons 2–7, 9–; recurring: seasons 1 & 8
Also executive producer (season 9–)

1999, 2000
The Drew Carey Show
Himself
"Drew Live" and "Drew Live II" (improv episodes)

2000
Batman Beyond
Micron
Episode: "The Call" (Parts 1 & 2)

2000
Geppetto
The Magician
Movie

2001–2004
The Wayne Brady Show
Host
Variety show

2002
Miss America
Host

2004
Chappelle's Show
Himself
2 episodes

2004
Sesame Street
Himself

2005
Stargate SG-1
Trelak
Episode: "It's Good to be King"

2006–2008
Everybody Hates Chris
Louis
2 episodes

2006
Robot Chicken
Pegasus 'Sunny Muffin' / Salam Fayyad (voice)
Episode: "Adoption's an Option"

2006
Crossover
Vaughn

2006
Shorty McShorts' Shorts
Cameron
Voice; 3 episodes

2006–2014
How I Met Your Mother
James Stinson
13 episodes

2007
30 Rock
Steven Black
Episode: "The Source Awards"

2007
Dirt
Henchman
Episode: "You Don't Know Jack"

2007–2009
Don't Forget the Lyrics!
Host

2009–present
Let's Make a Deal
Host

2011
Fast and Loose
Himself
UK improv; 2 episodes

2011
Are We There Yet?
Devin
Episode: "The Man and the Bragging Snafu Episode"

2011
Drew Carey's Improv-A-Ganza
Himself
5 episodes

2012–2013
American Dad!
Cuba Gooding Jr. / Tungee (voice)
3 episodes

2012
Trust Us with Your Life
Himself
7 episodes

2012
Psych
Hilton Fox
Episode: "Shawn and the Real Girl"

2013–present
Sofia the First
Clover the Rabbit
Voice role

2013
So You Think You Can Dance
Himself/Guest judge
2 episodes

2014
Hollywood Game Night
Himself
Episode: "50 Charades of Grey"

2014
So You Think You Can Dance
Himself/Guest judge
[26]

2015
The Late Late Show
Himself/Guest host
5 episodes

2016
Aftermath
Lamar 'Booner' Boone
2 episodes

2016–present
The Loud House
Harold McBride
Recurring voice role

text: Theatre credits[edit]

text:
Year(s)
Production
Role
Theater
Location

2004
Chicago
Billy Flynn
Ambassador Theatre
Broadway

2010
Rent
Tom Collins
Hollywood Bowl
Los Angeles

2015–16
March–April 2018
Kinky Boots
Lola
Al Hirschfeld Theatre
Broadway

2016
White Rabbit, Red Rabbit
solo
Westside Theatre
off-Broadway[27]

2016
Merrily We Roll Along
Charley Kringas
Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts
Los Angeles

2017
Hamilton
Aaron Burr
PrivateBank Theatre
Chicago

text: Video games[edit]

text:
Year
Title
Role
Notes

2008
The Legend of Spyro: Dawn of the Dragon
Sparx

text: Discography[edit]

text: Albums

text:
Year
Album details
Chart positions

US
US
R&B
US
Heat

2008
A Long Time Coming

Released: September 16, 2008
Label: Peak/Concord Music

157
20
2

2011
Radio Wayne

Released: May 31, 2011
Label: Walt Disney

—
—
—

text:
2000

"The Weekenders" Theme Song

2004

"Unsung Heroes"
"Between" – Wayne Brady with The Sesame Street Muppets

2005

"Beautiful" – Wayne Brady, accompanied on piano by songwriter Jim Brickman
"Don't Stop" – Jamie Jones featuring Wayne Brady and William Carthright

2008

"Ordinary"

2009

"F.W.B."

2013

"Whistle While I Work it" – Chester See featuring Tobuscus with Wayne Brady

tag: ul

text: Awards and nominations[edit]

text:
Year
Association
Category
Nominated work
Result

2001
Primetime Emmy Awards
Outstanding Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program
Whose Line Is It Anyway?
Nominated

2002
Nominated

2003
Won

2003
Daytime Emmy Awards
Outstanding Talk Show Host
The Wayne Brady Show
Won

2004
Won

2009
Grammy Awards
Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance
"A Change Is Gonna Come"
Nominated

2010
Daytime Emmy Awards
Outstanding Game Show Host
Let's Make a Deal
Nominated

2011
Outstanding Game Show Host
Nominated

2012
Outstanding Game Show Host
Nominated

2013
Outstanding Game Show Host
Nominated

2014
Outstanding Game Show Host
Nominated

2014
Outstanding Original Song
"30,000 Reasons to Love Me" for Let's Make a Deal (lyrics writer)
Won

2016
Outstanding Game Show Host
Let's Make a Deal
Nominated


document_title: Robots (2005 film)

question_text: who does the voice of rodney in robots

question_tokens: who does the voice of rodney in robots

text: Robots (2005 film)

text: Plot[edit]

text: In Rivet Town, Rodney Copperbottom is a young inventor who idolizes Bigweld, whose company develops useful machines. Rodney invents the Wonderbot to help his father Herb clean dishes at a restaurant. When Herb's supervisor confronts them, Wonderbot breaks the dishes, leaving Herb in debt. Rodney takes his invention to Robot City to work at Bigweld Industries and help pay back his father’s debt. On arrival, he learns Phineas T. Ratchet has taken over Bigweld Industries and stopped making spare parts in favor of expensive ‘upgrades’.

text: Rodney is thrown out and meets Fender Pinwheeler (who he met earlier at the train station), Fender’s sister Piper, Crank, Lugnut, Diesel, and Bently Sonic collectively known as ‘the Rusties’. Rodney stays with them at a boarding house owned by Aunt Fanny. Rodney begins fixing old robots, known as ‘outmodes’, in the neighborhood. Ratchet’s mother Madame Gasket, the owner of "the Chop Shop", orders Ratchet to stop Rodney and destroy Bigweld.

text: Rodney later receives news that Herb needs replacement parts, and decides to find Bigweld to ask him to return and keep on making spare parts. Wonderbot reminds him Bigweld will attend the Bigweld Ball. Rodney and Fender go to the ball in disguise only to hear Ratchet announce Bigweld is unable to attend. Rodney confronts Ratchet but is captured by security. Cappy, a robot executive at Bigweld Industries opposed to Ratchet's plan, rescues Rodney and Fender.

text: Fender is captured by a sweeper and taken to the Chop Shop, where the city’s junk is melted down. There he discovers Madame Gasket and Ratchets plot and escapes. Meanwhile, Rodney and Cappy fly to Bigweld's house. Rodney asks Bigweld to return to Bigweld Industries and start making spare parts again, but Bigweld refuses, telling Rodney to give up and leave. Rodney calls his parents, intending to return to Rivet Town, but Herb convinces Rodney to stay. Fender reveals Ratchet has built a fleet of super-sweepers to destroy all outmodes. Bigweld returns to the group, having regained his resolve.

text: The group return to Bigweld Industries where Bigweld fires Ratchet, but is tricked and knocked unconscious. Rodney, Cappy and the Rusties rescue Bigweld and are chased across the city, but leave Piper and Aunt Fanny behind. The remaining robots arrive at the Chop Shop, where Bigweld accidentally rolls into the processing area. Piper and Aunt Fanny arrive with an army of outmodes. A battle between the outmodes, Gasket's henchmen and the super-sweepers ensues. Wonderbot fights Gasket, who falls into her own furnace. Ratchet loses his upgrades after getting trapped in some chains. Rodney disables the super-sweepers and rescues Bigweld. Retaking control of Bigweld Industries, Bigweld visits Rivet Town to tell Rodney's parents their son is his ‘right-hand bot’ and eventual successor.

text: Cast[edit]

text:
Ewan McGregor as Rodney Copperbottom, a young blue robot and aspiring inventor.
Halle Berry as Cappy, an executive at Bigweld Industries and Rodney's love interest.
Robin Williams as Fender Pinwheeler, a red robot who befriends Rodney and is constantly falling apart.
Mel Brooks as Bigweld, a jolly inventor and owner of Bigweld Industries.
Seth Rogen as Bently Sonic, who comes to the Rusties in their time of need.
Greg Kinnear as Phineas T. Ratchet, a materialistic, arrogant, treacherous, greedy, and self-centered robot, Rodney's arch-rival, and Madame Gasket's son, partner and henchman.
Jim Broadbent as Madame Gasket, a twisted, malevolent, manipulative, and tyrannical robot, Rodney's arch-enemy, Bigweld's arch-rival, and Ratchet's mother, partner, and boss.
Amanda Bynes as Piper Pinwheeler, a yellow robot who is Fender's younger sister.
Drew Carey as Crank Casey, an orange robot who befriends Rodney.
Jennifer Coolidge as Aunt Fanny, a kind, motherly robot who takes in 'broken' robots.
Harland Williams as Lugnut, a large green robot who befriends Rodney along with his mute companion Diesel.
Stanley Tucci as Herb Copperbottom, Rodney's father and a dishwasher at Gunk's.
Dianne Wiest as Lydia Copperbottom, Rodney's mother.
Chris Wedge as Wonderbot / Phone booth
Natasha Lyonne as Loretta Geargrinder, a receptionist at Bigweld Industries and Fender's love interest.
Paul Giamatti as Tim, the gate keeper at Bigweld Industries
Dan Hedaya as Mr. Gunk, Herb's rude, inconsiderate boss.
Brian Scott McFadden as Trashcan Bot
Jay Leno as Fire Hydrant
Lucille Bliss as Pigeon Lady
Paula Abdul as Wristwatch #1
Randy Jackson as Wristwatch #2
Al Roker as Mailbox
Stephen Tobolowsky as Bigmouth Executive / Forge
Tim Nordquist as Tin Man
Lowell Ganz as Mr. Gasket, Madame Gasket's husband and Ratchet's father.
James Earl Jones as a Darth Vader voice box at a hardware store[6]

text: Locations[edit]

text: Rivet Town was rumored to be based on Watertown, New York, but director Chris Wedge dismissed this in an interview.[8]

text: Release[edit]

text: Robots was originally scheduled for a 2004 release,[9] but the release date was changed to 2005. The film premiered on March 6, 2005 in Westwood, Los Angeles,[1][7] and it was released theatrically on March 11, 2005. The film was the first to feature the new trailer for Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith. The film also featured the exclusive trailer for Ice Age: The Meltdown, then called Ice Age 2.[10] Robots was digitally re-mastered into IMAX format (IMAX DMR) and released in select IMAX theatres around the world. It was the first Twentieth Century Fox's film that was released on the same day on IMAX and conventional 35mm screens. It was also the first IMAX DMR film released in the Spring season, and the second IMAX DMR film distributed by Fox.[11]

text: Home media[edit]

text: The film, released on DVD and VHS on September 27, 2005,[12] was accompanied by an original short animated film based on Robots, titled Aunt Fanny's Tour of Booty.[13][14] The film was released in high-definition on Blu-ray Disc on March 22, 2011.[15]

text: Reception[edit]

text: Critical reaction[edit]

text: On the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a rating of 64% based on 178 reviews. The site's consensus reads: "Robots delights on a visual level, but the story feels like it came off an assembly line."[16] Another review aggregator, Metacritic, gave a score of 64 based on 33 reviews.[17] Roger Ebert gave the film three-and-a-half stars out of four, stating that "this is a movie that is a joy to behold entirely apart from what it is about. It looks happy, and, more to the point, it looks harmonious."[18]

text: Box office[edit]

text: The film was released March 11, 2005, in the United States and Canada and grossed $36 million in 3,776 theaters its opening weekend, ranking #1 at the box office.[19] It grossed a total of $260.7 million worldwide—$128.2 million in the United States and Canada and $132.5 million in other territories.[20]

text: Accolades[edit]

text: The film was nominated for many awards in the category of best animated film, as well as awards for character design, best animated character, voice casting, and sound editing. However, it only won one, the MTV (Mexico) Movie Award for best song, "Un Héroe Real".[citation needed]

text: The film is recognized by American Film Institute in these lists:

text: 2008: AFI's 10 Top 10: Nominated Animation Film[21]

text: Music[edit]

text: Soundtrack[edit]

text:
Robots: Original Motion Picture SoundtrackSoundtrack album by Various ArtistsReleased
March 1, 2005 (2005-03-01)Genre
Pop, alternative rock, pop rock, R&B, hip hop, funk, soulLength
41:09Label
Virgin Records

text: Robots: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack was released on March 1, 2005 by Virgin Records.[22]

text: No.TitlePerformerLength1."Shine"Ricky Fanté4:082."Right Thurr"Chingy4:123."Tell Me What You Already Did"Fountains of Wayne1:594."Wonderful Night"Fatboy Slim featuring Lateef2:465."Get Up Offa That Thing" (Ali Dee Remix)"James Brown3:406."(There's Gotta Be) More to Life"Stacie Orrico3:237."Love's Dance"Earth, Wind & Fire4:298."Low Rider"War3:159."I Like That"Houston, Featuring Chingy, Nate Dogg and I-203:5810."Silence"Gomez2:5511."Walkie Talkie Man"Steriogram2:1512."Robot City"John Powell, Featuring Blue Man Group4:09Total length:41:09

text:
"Underground" – Tom Waits
"Can't Get Enough of Your Love, Babe" – Barry White
"...Baby One More Time" – Britney Spears
"See Me" – Melanie Blatt
"Eye of the Tiger" – Survivor
"From Zero to Hero" – Sarah Connor
"Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)" – C+C Music Factory and Freedom Williams

text: Score[edit]

text:
Robots: Original Motion Picture ScoreFilm score by John PowellReleased
March 15, 2005 (2005-03-15)Genre
ScoreLength
43:41Label
Varèse Sarabande

text: Robots: Original Motion Picture Score was composed by John Powell and was released on March 15, 2005 by Varèse Sarabande Records.[23]

text: No.TitleLength1."Opening Titles/ Building A Baby"4:022."Rivet Town Parade"0:543."Bigweld TV / Creating Wonderbot"2:454."Wonderbot Wash"2:085."Train Station"3:506."The Crosstown Express"1:197."Wild Ride"1:368."Madame Gasket"1:009."Chop Shop"1:5010."Meet The Rusties"2:0611."Bigweld Workshop"3:1312."Phone Booth"1:2913."Gathering Forces"3:2814."Escape"4:4215."Deciding to Fight Back"1:1316."Attack of the Sweepers"1:2617."Butt Whoopin'"3:4218."Homecoming"1:3319."Dad's Dream"1:25Total length:43:41

text: Video game[edit]

text: Aunt Fanny's Tour of Booty[edit]

text: Aunt Fanny's Tour of Booty is a five-minute computer-animated film that was included as a bonus feature on the DVD and VHS releases of Robots and a prequel to the film. In the short, Aunt Fanny gives a tour of the Robot City Train Station to a motley collection of robots, including Fender Pinwheeler, Zinc, Tammy, Hacky, and an Old Lady-Bot.[13][14]


document_title: Puppy Dog Pals

question_text: who does the voice for bob on puppy dog pals

text: Puppy Dog Pals

text: Plot[edit]

text: Puppy Dog Pals is about brothers[1] Bingo and Rolly, two pug puppies who have fun traveling around their neighborhood when their owner Bob leaves home. They also have a cat sister named Hissy, and a robot dog named Automatic Doggy Robotic Friend Or ARF.

text: Characters[edit]

text: Main[edit]

text:
Bingo (voiced by Issac Ryan Brown) is a black dog with a blue collar. He is the leader of the two and is Rolly's older brother.
Rolly (voiced by Sam Lavagnino) is a light brown pup with a red collar. He isn't as smart as Bingo, and is very silly. He is Bingo's younger brother. In "Bob Loves Mona", he starts a bad habit of chewing everything he can find.
Bob (voiced by Harland Williams) is the owner of Bingo, Rolly, Hissy, and A.R.F. He works as an inventor.
Hissy (voiced by Jessica DiCicco) is a sarcastic purple cat. In some episodes, she ends up going along with Bingo and Rolly on their missions. These episodes are: "A Pyramaid Scheme", "Hissy's Big Day", "Bob Loves Mona, "Puzzling Pugs", "A Seat at the Theatre", and "Return to the Pumpkin Patch", but only Collared up on Puzzling Pugs and Return to the Pumpkin Patch. She is the first and currently only female character to sing.
A.R.F. (fully known as Auto-Doggy Robotic Friend; voiced by Tom Kenny) is a robotic dog that Bob invented. He first appears in the episode "A.R.F.". Later in the series, he is updated by Bob in "Go, Dog, Go!"

text: Recurring[edit]

text:
Cupcake (voiced by Jill Talley) is a pink puppy who does not like Bingo and Rolly. She is the main antagonist of the series.
Rufus (voiced by Leslie David Baker) is the bulldog with a black collar who is always with Cupcake. He cannot speak much except growl and mutter. He has been known to chase Bingo and Rolly multiple times, but in "Haunted Howl-O-Ween", he helped them instead.
Baseball Announcer (voiced by Bob Uecker) is the announcer at the baseball game in the episode "Take Me to The Pug Game".
Captain Dog (voiced by Patrick Warburton) is the star of the pups' favorite television show.
Frank Exposition (voiced by Leslie David Baker) is a man that is usually seen vacationing with his wife during Bingo and Rolly's missions. In "A Pyramid Scheme" he gets tangled in ribbons, which leads to Bingo and Rolly mistaking him for a mummy.
Esther Exposition (voiced by Cheri Oteri) is Frank's wife. In "Hissy's Big Day", she is shown to have a pet iguana named Iggy.
Daisy (voiced by Yvette Nicole Brown) is a kind German Shepherd. She first appeared in "History Mystery". She appeared again in "A Very Pug Christmas".
Bulworth (voiced by Huey Lewis) is the junkyard dog.
Hedgie the Hedgehog (voiced by Jack McBrayer) is a hedgehog who first appeared in “Winter Wonder Pug”.
The Go-Long Retriever (Voiced by Harland Williams) is the toy stick and one of Bob's inventions that Bingo and Rolly tried to get rid of. Its only phrase is "Play fetch with me!"
Johnathan (voiced by Jeff Bennett) is Bingo and Rolly's wisecracking seagull friend.
Cagey (voiced by Jeff Bennett) is Bingo and Rolly's guinea pig friend who used to live at the Pet Store, but is now Chloe’s pet.
Crumpet (voiced by Jeff Bennett) is the royal dog.
Whaley (voiced by Jessica DiCicco) is the whale that Bingo and Rolly helped jump over the other side of the wall.
Dallie (voiced by Tom Kenny) is a dalmatian.
Jackie (voiced by Jill Talley) is an orange collie with a magenta bandanna.
Nelly (voiced by Grey DeLisle) is a bluebird who appears in "Polly Wants A Pug". She appears again in "Winter Wonder-Pug".
Snowflake (meows provided by Alanna Ubach) is a kitten who becomes friends with Hissy.
Miss Mudge (voiced by Alanna Ubach) is Snowflake's owner.
Guard Dog (voiced by Kevin Michael Richardson) is a Doberman who is friends with Bulworth.
Chloe (voiced by Emma Shannon) is a little girl who is Bob's neighbor.
Chloe's Mom (voiced by Tara Strong) is Chloe's mom.
Bob's Mom (voiced by Tress MacNeille) is an old lady who appears in two episodes: "Special Delivery" and "Your Royal Pug-Ness".
Bizzy the Beaver (voiced by Kevin Michael Richardson) is a beaver who lives in the forest.
Strider the Sheepdog (voiced by Mo Collins) is a fast-talking sheep herder who appears in the episodes, "Counting Sheep" and "Rhapsody in Pug".
Shockero (voiced by Kevin Michael Richardson) is a lavender Scotty dog.
Bark Knight (voiced by Gary Anthony Williams) is Captain Dog's sidekick.
Titus (voiced by Jeff Bennett) is a leopard who now owns Hissy's squeaky toy.
Harriet (voiced by Mo Collins) is a smart African elephant.
Barry (voiced by Jeff Bennett) is a giraffe who let Bingo, Rolly, and Hissy ride on his head.
Quinty Mcsquinty (voiced by Jeff Bennett) is an old basset hound who told Bingo and Rolly the legend of Ol' Snapper.
Ol' Snapper (voiced by Tom Kenny) is a turtle mistaken as a monster.
Baby (barks provided by Jessica DiCocco) is a huge Great Dane puppy.
Queen Kazoo (voiced by Alanna Ubach) is the star of Bob's favorite play.
Baboo (voiced by Gary Anothony Williams) is Queen Kazoo's dog.
Charlie (voiced by Jackson Dollinger) is an official-unofficial pumpkin patch crow.
Orby (voiced by Jet Jurgensmeyer) is a chameleon who Bingo and Rolly thought was an alien.
Daisy's Puppies (Voiced by Serenity Brown and Ryder Cohen) are the puppies who now play with Daisy's old toy. Their names are Dash & Duke. They appeared in "History Mystery" and "A Very Pug Christmas".
Scooter (Voiced by Grey DeLisle) is a dog who kinda looks like Daisy.
Newf (voiced by Mo Collins) is a big gentle dog.
Todd (voiced by Jessica DiCicco) is Orby's owner.
Funny (voiced by Grey DeLisle) is a brown bunny who tells funny jokes.
Single Squirrel (Voiced by Tom Green) is a Squirrel who Bingo & Rolly bury nuts for winter.
Olivia is Bob’s pet fish. Her first appearance was in "A Very Pug Christmas".
Santa Claus (voiced by Henry Winkler)

text: Episodes[edit]

text:
No.
Title
Directed by
Written by
Storyboards by
Original air date
Prod.
code [4]
U.S. viewers
(millions)

1a
"Hawaii Pug-Oh[5]"
Scott Bern
Harland Williams
Paul Cohen
April 14, 2017 (2017-04-14)
101
1.39[6]

When Bob says he'd love to feel the sand on his toes, pug puppy brothers Bingo and Rolly go on a mission to Hawaii.

1b
"A.R.F.[5]"
Trevor Wall
Bob Smiley
James Gibson
April 14, 2017 (2017-04-14)
101
1.39[6]

Bob introduces the pups to A.R.F., a robotic dog that is programmed to clean up their messes.

2a
"The French Toast Connection[5]"
Stephanie Arnett
Brendan Duffy
Kris Wimberly
April 14, 2017 (2017-04-14)
TBA
1.36[6]

Bingo and Rolly travel to France to get Bob some french toast.

2b
"Take Me Out to the Pug Game[5]"
Scott Bern
Sean Coyle
Doris Umschaden
April 14, 2017 (2017-04-14)
TBA
1.36[6]

The pugs chase Bob's prized baseball across the city.

3a
"The Go-Long Retriever[5]"
Stephanie Arnett
Jessica Carleton
Kris Wimberly
April 21, 2017 (2017-04-21)
TBA
0.99[7]

Bingo and Rolly try to get away from a self-fetching stick that begins chasing them.

3b
"Pot O' Pugs[5]"
Scott Bern
Bob Smiley
Doris Umschaden
April 21, 2017 (2017-04-21)
TBA
0.99[7]

After Bob says he needs a pot of gold, the pups search for one at the end of a rainbow.

4a
"A Pyramid Scheme[5]"
Trevor Wall
Jeff Rothpan
Julia Briemle
April 21, 2017 (2017-04-21)
TBA
1.05[7]

Bongo and Rolly travel to Egypt to find the Great Pyramids.

4b
"Special Delivery[5]"
Stephanie Arnett
Bob Smiley
Otis Brayboy
April 21, 2017 (2017-04-21)
TBA
1.05[7]

The pugs try to deliver a Mother's Day card for Bob.

5a
"Design-A-Dog[5]"
Scott Bern
Jessica Carleton
Paul Cohen
April 28, 2017 (2017-04-28)
TBA
0.91[8]

Bingo and Rolly accidentally chew Bob's childhood toy.

5b
"Ice, Ice Puggy[5]"
Trevor Wall
Darrin Rose
James Gibson
April 28, 2017 (2017-04-28)
TBA
0.91[8]

When Bob runs out of ice, the pugs go to Antarctica to get him some.

6a
"Free Whaley[5]"
Trevor Wall
Sean Tweedley
Julia Briemle
May 5, 2017 (2017-05-05)
106
1.05[9]

Bingo and Rolly help a baby whale that has been separated from her family.

6b
"Putting It Together[5]"
Stephanie Arnett
Brendan Duffy
Otis Brayboy
May 5, 2017 (2017-05-05)
106
1.05[9]

The pugs retrace their steps to remember where they buried Bob's unicycle.

7a
"Hissy's Big Day[5]"
Trevor Wall
Bill Fuller
Julia Briemle
May 12, 2017 (2017-05-12)
107
1.05[10]

After Hissy has had a bad morning, Bingo and Rolly try to make her feel better by taking her to their favorite places.

7b
"Go, Dog. Go![5]"
Stephanie Arnett
Bob Smiley
Otis Brayboy
May 12, 2017 (2017-05-12)
107
1.05[10]

The reprogrammed A.R.F. takes the pugs where they want to go but the pugs learn that the robotic dog isn't programmed to bring them back.

8a
"Pigs and Pugs[5]"
Trevor Wall
Jessica Carleton
Bill Breneisen & Alfred Gimeno
May 19, 2017 (2017-05-19)
108
1.04[11]

Bob mistakes a mud-covered pig for Rolly and accidentally leaves him behind on the farm.

8b
"Bob Loves Mona[5]"
Scott Bern
Joe Ansolabehere (story)
Jessica Carleton
Rudi Bloss
May 19, 2017 (2017-05-19)
108
1.04[11]

The pugs travel to the Great Wall of China to search for the missing Mona Lisa.

9a
"Don't Rain on my Pug-rade[5]"
Trevor Wall
Bob Smiley
Arthur Valencia
June 16, 2017 (2017-06-16)
109
1.59[12]

When Bob can't leave his house to watch a parade, the pups enlist a family of ducks to march past the house.

9b
"Their Royal Pug-ness[5]"
Stephanie Arnett
Bob Smiley
Otis Brayboy
June 16, 2017 (2017-06-16)
109
1.59[12]

Bingo and Rolly head to England to learn how to treat a queen.

10a
"Scuba-Doggies[5]"
Scott Bern
Jessica Carleton (story)
Bob Smiley
Rudi Bloss
June 23, 2017 (2017-06-23)
110
1.25[13]

An underwater adventure to get a package.

10b
"Walking the Bob[5]"
Trevor Wall
Bob Smiley
Bill Breneisen
June 23, 2017 (2017-06-23)
110
1.25 [13]

The Pups lead a blurry-visioned Bob home.

11a
"Hissy's Kitty[5]"
Stephanie Arnett
Jessica Carleton
Kris Wimberly
July 7, 2017 (2017-07-07)
111
1.21[14]

When Bob brings home a lost kitty, Bingo and Rolly try find her a home.

11b
"Polly Wants a Pug[5]"
Scott Bern
Michael Olson & Bob Smiley
Julia Briemle & Doris Umschaden
July 7, 2017 (2017-07-07)
111
1.21[14]

While in Florida, Bingo and Rolly search for an old friend of Bob's.

12a
"Leave it to Beavers[5]"
Trevor Wall
Jessica Carleton
Julia Briemle
July 14, 2017 (2017-07-14)
112
1.35[15]

Bingo and Rolly try to build a dam to protect their doghouse from a rainstorm.

12b
"Counting Sheep[5]"
Stephanie Arnett
Jessica Carleton
Otis Brayboy
July 14, 2017 (2017-07-14)
112
1.35[15]

When Bob says he'll count sheep to sleep, the pugs herd a flock of sheep into the backyard to help.

13a
"Captain Rolly[5]"
Scott Bern
Brian Hall
Rudi Bloss
July 28, 2017 (2017-07-28)
113
1.20[16]

The pugs attend the Captain Dog fan party.

13b
"The Coolest Dogs in Town[5]"
Trevor Wall
Brian Hall
Bill Breneisen
July 28, 2017 (2017-07-28)
113
1.20[16]

A.R.F takes Bingo and Rolly places to get cool.

14a
"Puzzling Pugs[5]"
Stephanie Arnett
Harland Williams & Michael Olson (story)
Ashley Lenz
August 11, 2017 (2017-08-11)
TBA
1.25[17]

Bingo, Rolly, and Hissy find a leopard for Bob's puzzle after A.R.F tears it up.

14b
"Rhapsody in Pug[5]"
Scott Bern
Amy Van Curen
Doris Umschaden
August 11, 2017 (2017-08-11)
TBA
1.25[17]

Bingo and Rolly go to a concert.

15a
"The Legend of Ol' Snapper[5]"
Trevor Wall
Sean Coyle
Julia Briemle
August 25, 2017 (2017-08-25)
TBA
0.84[18]

Bob's fishing pole is stolen by a legendary creature.

15b
"Adventures in Puppy-Sitting[5]"
Stephanie Arnett
Jessica Carleton
Otis Brayboy
August 25, 2017 (2017-08-25)
TBA
0.84[18]

The pugs are tasked to babysit a big dog that causes trouble around the town.

16a
"Bye Bye, Butterfly[5]"
Trevor Wall
Jessica Carleton & Harland Williams
Ed Baker
September 22, 2017 (2017-09-22)
TBA
0.63[19]

Bingo and Rolly help a butterfly find a way back to her family.

16b
"A Seat at the Theatre[5]"
Scott Bern
Jessica Carleton
Rudi Bloss
September 22, 2017 (2017-09-22)
TBA
0.63[19]

Bingo and Rolly try to take a seat to Bob's favorite play and try not to wake up Hissy at the same time.

17a
"Return to the Pumpkin Patch [5]"
Scott Bern
Bob Smiley (story)
Amy Van Curen
Doris Umschaden
October 1, 2017 (2017-10-01)
TBA
0.97[20]

Bingo, Rolly and Hissy go to a pumpkin patch to find Bingo's collar after he loses it in the maze.

17b
"Haunted Howl-oween [5]"
Stephanie Arnett
Amy Van Curen (story)
Jessica Carleton
Ashley Lenz
October 1, 2017 (2017-10-01)
TBA
0.97[20]

Bingo and Rolly go on a mission to find Chloe's Halloween Costume.

18a
"Close Encounters of a Pug Kind[5]"
Trevor Wall
Brian Hall
Bill Breneisen
October 13, 2017 (2017-10-13)
TBA
0.84[21]

The pups go to a gathering of UFO enthusiasts to find someone from space and mistake a lost Chameleon for an alien.

18b
"History Mystery[5]"
Stephanie Arnett
Amy Van Curen
Otis Brayboy
October 13, 2017 (2017-10-13)
TBA
0.84[21]

When the pups find a doggie toy that isn't theirs, they go on a mission to find its original owner.

19a
"Art for Pug's Sake[5]"
Stephanie Arnett
Bob Smiley
Kris Wimberly
November 10, 2017 (2017-11-10)
TBA
0.94[22]

The pugs try to hang something of Bob's at a famous Italian art museum.

19b
"Winter Wonderpug[5]"
Scott Bern
Bob Smiley
Doris Umschaden
November 10, 2017 (2017-11-10)
TBA
0.94[22]

Bingo and Rolly look for the first snowflake of the season while helping other animals prepare for winter.

20a
"A Very Pug Christmas[5]"
Scott Bern
Jessica Carleton & Brian Hall (story)
Roger Dondis
December 1, 2017 (2017-12-01)
TBA
1.03[23]

On Christmas Eve, Bingo and Rolly help Santa search for Bob's Christmas present when it goes missing in the sleigh.

20b
"The Latke Kerfuffle[5]"
Trevor Wall
Jessica Carleton
Bill Breneisen
December 1, 2017 (2017-12-01)
TBA
1.03[23]

Bingo and Rolly help Bob make latkes for their neighbor Chloe's Hanukkah party.


document_title: Belle (Beauty and the Beast)

question_text: who wanted to marry belle in beauty and the beast

text: Belle (Beauty and the Beast)

text: Development[edit]

text: Conception and writing[edit]

text: After the success of Walt Disney Productions' first feature-length animated film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937), filmmaker Walt Disney himself made several attempts to adapt the fairy tale "Beauty and the Beast" by Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont into one of the studio's earliest animated feature films during the 1930s and 1950s.[1] However, the project was continuously abandoned due to the fairy tale's "static" plot and main characters.[2] The filmmaker was also concerned about the "unnecessary intensity" required to depict Belle's imprisonment.[3] Inspired by the unprecedented success of The Little Mermaid (1989), Walt Disney Studios chairman Jeffrey Katzenberg green-lit another attempt at adapting "Beauty and the Beast" under the direction of Richard Purdum.[3] However, Katzenberg did not approve of Purdum's dark, somber version of the fairy tale,[4][5] and ultimately ordered that it be restarted from scratch in favor of creating a Broadway-style musical film starring a strong heroine, more similar to The Little Mermaid.[6] Opting instead for a "feminist twist" on the original story,[7] Katzenberg hired television writer Linda Woolverton, who had never written an animated film before,[5] to write the film's screenplay.[8]

text: Before Beauty and the Beast, Disney's tradition of depicting female characters as victims had already long been established.[9] The fact that Belle was hardly depicted as a feminist in earlier versions of the film became a point of contention among the filmmakers.[10] Despite the fact that Disney wanted Beauty and the Beast to resemble an old-fashioned film, the filmmakers envisioned Belle as "a woman that was ahead of her time".[11] As the first woman in the history of Disney to write a feature-length animated film,[12] Woolverton decided to explore Belle as an opportunity to create a female character who would ultimately be better received than Disney's previous animated heroines, specifically Ariel from The Little Mermaid.[7][13][14] Woolverton was aware that the task would be particularly challenging due to the previous character's popularity,[14] but fought relentlessly to make sure that she was creating "a new kind of Disney heroine."[15] Inspired by the women's rights movement Woolverton herself had experienced during the 1960s and 1970s,[9] the screenwriter was determined to avoid creating another "insipid" Disney princess and decided to conceive Belle as a headstrong feminist.[14] Woolverton strongly believed that contemporary audiences would not identify with Belle unless she was updated appropriately,[9] and thus evolved the character into "a woman of the '90s".[16] The screenwriter refused to watch Jean Cocteau's 1946 film adaptation of the fairy tale and chose to base Belle on American actress Katharine Hepburn's portrayal of Jo March in the 1933 film adaptation of Louisa May Alcott's book Little Women instead,[12][17] who she felt was "a real depiction of womanhood."[18] Similarly, story artist Brenda Chapman drew influence from Hepburn's on-screen bickering with actor Spencer Tracy during the scene in which Belle tends to the Beast's wounds.[19]

text: Animator Mark Henn observed that, unlike Ariel, Belle does not "fall in love at first sight"; instead "there's an actual relationship you see grow".[20] In the original fairy tale, Belle has two selfish sisters who both have their own respective love interests, all of whom Woolverton omitted from the screenplay in favor of focusing solely on Belle's relationship with Gaston.[21] At one point, Belle had a younger sister named Clarice and a cruel aunt named Marguerite,[22] both of whom were discarded[23] – Clarice to emphasize Belle's loneliness,[24] and Marguerite to be replaced by Gaston as the film's villain.[22] Woolverton also eliminated the subplot of Belle asking her father for a rose.[9] Despite constant "regressive" re-writes,[15] Woolverton's overall vision for Belle generally remained intact.[9] Beauty and the Beast's story department was predominantly male, a time during which few women were involved.[25] Woolverton often found herself at odds and disagreeing with the more traditional story artists in regards to Belle's role in the film,[26][27] but continued to be supported by Katzenberg and lyricist Howard Ashman.[27]

text: According to Woolverton, the story team challenged nearly every line of dialogue Woolverton suggested for the character.[28] On one occasion, the story artists re-wrote what Woolverton had originally scripted as Belle using a map to indicate places to where she would like to travel to the character baking a cake.[12][29] Arguing that the liberated Belle would not even know how to bake,[26] Woolverton decided to compromise by having the character read a book instead,[15] which was similarly debated because some filmmakers considered reading to be too passive an activity.[12] To resolve this, Woolverton scripted Belle walk while reading, an activity in which Woolverton herself partook as a child.[12] In Beaumont's fairy tale, Belle is essentially forced to replace her father as the Beast's prisoner.[30] To make the character more independent, Woolverton re-wrote her so that she willingly ventures into the woods in search of her father, bravely confronts the Beast and ultimately trades her own freedom in return for Maurice's instead.[13] During Gaston's climactic fight with the Beast, the character's line "Time to die!" was changed to "Belle is mine!" in order to return the focus of the story to Belle.[31]

text: Voice[edit]

text: Disney had originally considered casting actress Jodi Benson, who famously voiced Ariel in The Little Mermaid, as Belle, but ultimately felt that she sounded "too American" and young,[32][33] opting for a "more classical ... womanly" voice instead.[34] Describing the character as "a woman that was ahead of her time," the filmmakers wanted Belle to sound "more like a woman than a girl."[11] However, Benson voiced Belle in a few episodes of Disney's House of Mouse. Director Kirk Wise was particularly interested in casting an actress capable of "creat[ing] a character completely with her voice",[35] envisioning a voice similar to that of American entertainer Judy Garland.[32] American actress and singer Paige O'Hara was performing on Broadway when she first read about Disney's then-upcoming animated project Beauty and the Beast in an article in The New York Times.[36] Upon discovering that the studio was holding auditions for the lead role of Belle and, at the behest of lyricist Howard Ashman and composer Alan Menken,[37] specifically recruiting Broadway performers, O'Hara immediately insisted that her agent get her an audition.[36] Familiar with O'Hara's Broadway stint as Ellie May Chipley in the musical Show Boat;[38] Ashman had already been eyeing O'Hara for the part.[39] O'Hara auditioned for the role five times,[37] competing against approximately 500 other actresses.[40] First auditioning solely for casting director Albert Taveres,[34] O'Hara's next two auditions simply required the actress to mail audio recordings of her voice to the studio in Los Angeles.[37] Required to perform a song of her choice, O'Hara sang "Heaven Help My Heart" from the musical Chess.[41] At her first legitimate audition, O'Hara spoke and sang in a higher register than her own in an effort to mimic Snow White from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, but the filmmakers insisted that she use her own voice instead.[11] In addition to Ashman and Menken, O'Hara's last few auditions were attended by directors Wise and Gary Trousdale, and producers Katzenberg and Don Hahn.[37][41] O'Hara recalled that the songwriters would first close their eyes and listen to her before finally watching her perform.[34] An hour after her fifth and final audition,[41] O'Hara received a telephone call from Disney on her birthday informing her that she had been cast.[42] The actress was fairly confident that the role was hers before she was officially cast,[11] and credits the fact that Ashman enjoyed her performance on the cast recording of the musical Show Boat.[43][44] O'Hara admitted, "I'm not usually confident about auditions ... but I just understood (Belle) so much."[38]

text: 30 years-old at the time of her audition, O'Hara consequently imbued Belle's voice with a mature, "womanly quality" despite the character's young age.[11][33] Woolverton appreciated the fact that O'Hara sounded more mature than traditional Disney heroines.[38][45] Additionally, O'Hara identified with her character because they were both ostracized by their peers throughout their childhood because of their unconventional interests,[38] explaining, "I was odd growing up myself. I mean, I was into musical theater and Gershwin and Rodgers and Hammerstein while people were going to Led Zeppelin concerts. So I understood that ... I wasn't the norm either. I was very focused on my career, on my performing all through my childhood and my teens ... I had a one-track mind, and I think that Belle was like that a lot."[11] O'Hara also shares Belle's interest in reading.[35] Wise was pleased with the quality of O'Hara's voice, which reminded him of Garland.[35][41] O'Hara initially found it challenging to control her speaking volume due to having been trained to project as a stage actress. O'Hara told The Guardian that to solve this she "softened and used the microphone." As per the filmmakers' encouragement,[39] the actress would occasionally ad-lib her own dialogue, none was included in the final film because it sounded "too modern".[46] The animators would videotape O'Hara daily while she recorded to incorporate her "quirky" mannerisms, expressions and gestures into the character, among them her hair constantly falling into her eyes.[34] O'Hara and American actor Robby Benson, who provides the voice of the Beast, asked Disney to allow the co-stars to record together as opposed to the traditional method of being isolated in a recording booth, to which the studio agreed despite its costliness.[47] O'Hara credited the filmmaker's decision with developing both the film and Belle and the Beast's relationship.[11] O'Hara and Benson became the first Disney voice actors to record together.[43] In total, the recording process took over two years to complete.[38] O'Hara had already been friends with co-star Richard White, who voices Gaston, for 15 years.[39] Despite her successful stage career, O'Hara was virtually unknown to Hollywood audiences when she was cast in Beauty and the Beast; she was one of the last obscure actresses to be cast in a feature-length Disney animated film before the studio began casting better known talent in subsequent animated projects.[37]

text: Since the November 1991 release of Beauty and the Beast, O'Hara has returned to The Walt Disney Company on several occasions to voice Belle in a variety of media and merchandise, including its direct-to-video sequels Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas (1997), Belle's Magical World (1998) and Belle's Tales of Friendship (1999), as well as various video game releases such as the Kingdom Hearts series and several audio and video recordings associated with the Disney Princess franchise.[32] Additionally, O'Hara was hired by Disney to perform the song "Belle" at the 64th Academy Awards in 1992.[48] O'Hara has referred to the studio as her "main employer for 20 years".[49] In 2011,[50] O'Hara was officially replaced by actress Julie Nathanson, who first voiced Belle in the video game Kinect Disneyland Adventures (2011).[51][52][53] O'Hara revealed to the Las Vegas Review-Journal that news of the replacement greatly upset her to the point of which she was willing to re-record much of Belle's dialogue in an attempt to prove to the company that she is still capable of voicing the character. However, O'Hara eventually admitted that she found the process quite difficult as a result of the way in which her voice has changed over the course of 20 years.[49] In July 2017, it was announced that O'Hara would return as the voice of Belle in the 2018 film Ralph Breaks the Internet.[54]

text: Personality[edit]

text: According to producer Don Hahn, Beaumont's Belle is an "incredibly passive" character, the personality of whom he likened to those of Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella, as well as American actress and animal rights activist Doris Day, describing them as women who are "capable, but filling a role that women might fill in the 1950s and 1960s.”[55] The filmmakers painstakingly reworked Belle into a more three-dimensional character by providing her with goals and aspirations beyond romance and marriage,[55] while expanding her passive role into that of a more inquisitive heroine.[56] Determined to have Belle resemble "an unusual Disney heroine," Woolverton deliberately molded her into an independent character who is not a princess, enjoys books and has little interest in marriage,[6] and worked closely with Ashman to create a proactive heroine "who was a thinker and a reader and she wasn’t about what she looked like and she wasn’t a victim."[27] Although Belle being well-read is mentioned in the original fairy tale, it is hardly important to its plot.[18] Thus, Belle's passion for reading was vastly expanded upon, borrowing from both the Little Woman character Jo March and Woolverton's own love of reading to further demonstrate the character's intelligence and open mind.[13] Both Woolverton and O'Hara encouraged the filmmakers to emphasize the intelligent and book-loving aspects of Belle's personality.[34] However, at times the animators struggled to fulfill Woolverton's vision.[57] Originally, Belle was depicted constantly crying throughout her imprisonment; Woolverton resented this, arguing that the character was much more likely to be either searching for an escape or simply "be intrigued that she was living in an enchanted castle" than crying.[26] "Once everybody realized she wasn’t going to be this typical Disney female, they would go to the extreme ... She became bitchy"; the screenwriter argued that Belle would be "too smart" to act this way.[57] A few years older than The Little Mermaid's Ariel, Belles' love of reading makes the character more worldly and mature than her predecessor.[58] Belle is believed by Henn to be "probably" the oldest of Disney's princesses,[59] at 20 years of age.[60]

text: Design and animation[edit]

text:
Beauty and the Beast became the first animated film to fully credit each animator responsible for animating a specific character during the film's closing credits.[61]
Belle's supervising animators were James Baxter and Mark Henn.[62] Belle was Henn's second Disney heroine, after he had previously contributed to animating Ariel.[63] Henn was specifically assigned certain scenes to animate from the studio's Florida division,[64] namely the character exploring the West Wing, the scene in which Belle tends to the Beast's wounds, and the "Something There" musical sequence.[65][self-published source] Having since animated Jasmine in Aladdin (1992), Mulan in Mulan (1998) and Tiana in The Princess and the Frog (2009), Henn has established himself "as the go-to man behind many Disney princesses."[66]

text: To demonstrate that the character is not perfect,[67] Woolverton described "a little wisp of hair that keeps falling in her face," which was the only direction she used to describe Belle's physical appearance.[26] Wanting Belle to be significantly different and more European in appearance than Ariel, the animators drew her with fuller lips, narrower eyes and darker eyebrows,[58] which were inspired by the facial features of British actresses Vivien Leigh and Audrey Hepburn. More statuesque than most Disney princesses, Belle's appearance was inspired by that of American actress Jennie Garth.[60] The animators also used photographs of Hollywood actresses Natalie Wood, Elizabeth Taylor and Grace Kelly for reference.[38][48] Baxter studied the art of French impressionist Edgar Degas, a painter known for his portraits of ballerinas,[68] whose work inspired the animator to incorporate "graceful, swan-like movements" into Belle's performance.[69]

text: Belle's yellow ballgown was inspired by a similar costume Hepburn had worn in the film Roman Holiday (1953).[69] Hahn and a team of male filmmakers designed the ballgown while consuming pizza and alcohol.[59] Originally, the marketing department ordered that Belles' dress be pink to cater to the female audience, but art director Brian McEntee convinced studio to make the dress gold in order to make her to distinguish her from other Disney Princess,[70] specifically Aurora's from Sleeping Beauty (1950).[71][72] Art director Brian McEntee suggested that Belle be the only character in her village to wear blue in order emphasize the fact that she is different and an outcast.[31] The colors Belle wears also mimic her emotions, blue being associated with sadness and loneliness.[69] Blue was also used to symbolize good, while Gaston's red represented evil.[73] According to the Directory of World Cinema: American Hollywood by Lincoln Geraghty, Belle was inspired by actress Judy Garland's role as Dorothy Gale in The Wizard of Oz (1939) and Julie Andrews' performance as Maria von Trapp in The Sound of Music (1965).[74][75]

text: Actress and model Sherri Stoner served as the performance model for Belle, providing live-action reference for the animators as they drew the character.[76] Belle's tendency to constantly brush her hair away from her face was also inspired by both Stoner and O'Hara.[42] "I was constantly doing that and little quirky things that they would catch," O'Hara told The Guardian.[42] The animators also incorporated O'Hara's eyes, cheekbones and the way in which she raises her eyebrow into Belle's face.[48] O'Hara felt that Belle originally looked "too perfect," likening the character's appearance to actresses Elizabeth Taylor and Angelina Jolie.[38] Writing for the Los Angeles Times, Charles Solomon observed inconsistencies in Belle's appearance, writing, "The prettiest and liveliest Belle waltzes with Beast in his marble ballroom and weeps over his body before he's transformed into the Prince" while "The Belle who receives the library from Beast has wider-set eyes and a more prominent mouth than the noticeably slimmer Belle who sings 'Something There'".[77]

text: Characterization and themes[edit]

text: Woolverton created Belle as part of "her self-directed mandate to move women and girls forward."[15] The Express-Times described the character as an intelligent young woman who "sings songs about reading and wanting to gain knowledge, rather than falling in love."[78] Woolverton credits Belle's knowledge and love of books with providing the character with a "point of view of her life and that doesn't necessarily involve a man getting her there."[58] One of the film's main themes, Belle is considered an outsider because her love of reading provides her with knowledge of the outside world as opposed to her "narrow-minded" village peers.[3] Writing for Wired.com, Matt Blum dubbed Belle "the geekiest heroine of any Disney animated film", exemplified by an opening number that demonstrates just how much she does not fit in with her peers due to her intelligence and active imagination.[79] Similarly, Boxoffice's Amy Nicholson coined the character "Disney's Smartest Heroine,"[30] while Rob Burch of The Hollywood News observed that the character "comes across as arrogant at times" because she "spends much of the first act complaining."[33] In her book Sex, Love and Abuse: Discourses on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault, author Sharon Hayes described Belle as "the quintessential beautiful young ingenue."[80] Comparing Belle's personality to that of the princess in the Brothers Grimm's fairy tale "The Frog Prince", The Meanings of "Beauty and the Beast": A Handbook author Jerry Griswold described the character as a similarly "feisty and outspoken" heroine.[81] Writing for St. Francis Xavier University, Dawn Elizabeth England observed that Belle possesses equally as many traditionally feminine as she does masculine traits, citing her bravery, independence and assertiveness as masculine, and her sensitivity and fearfulness as feminine.[82] According to Hard Bodies: Hollywood Masculinity in the Reagan Era author Susan Jeffords, "Belle's credentials as heroine are established ... when she is the only one of the town's single women not to swoon over Gaston," while the character's love of reading is essentially manipulated "to mark her as better than the rest of the townspeople."[83] Writing for The Statesman, David O'Connor cited Belle's intelligence and bibliophilia as "in stark opposition to the insensitive and significantly dim-witted Gaston."[84] Critics continue to debate over whether Belle or the Beast is the film's protagonist. Susan Jeffords, author of Hard Bodies: Hollywood Masculinity in the Reagan Era, felt that although Belle appears to be the protagonist in Beaumont's original fairy tale, the character becomes "less the focus of the narrative" in Disney's adaptation and more of a "mechanism for solving the Beast's 'dilemma'."[83] In her article "The Tangled Evolution of the Disney Princess", Noelle Buffam felt that Belle arrived just in time when Disney's heroines were "in a dire need for some change," awarding her "the red stamp of approval" for her intelligence and spirit.[85]

text: Analyzing ways in which Disney's heroines have evolved overtime due to "the approach to the characterization of the princesses chang[ing]" as the characters gradually transformed from passive young women into heroines who "had ambitions and desires aside from finding true love,"[86] critics often divide the Disney Princesses into three separate categories and rank Belle among the middle of the timeline,[87] with Kit Steinkellner of HelloGiggles observing that the character improved upon "the Disney princess archetype" by simultaneously serving as both a "dreamer" and a "doer" in her film, as opposed to exclusively the former.[88] Film historian Paula Sigman Lowery explained to the Daily Express that Belle's personality is a combination of Ariel's spirit and burgeoning independence, and Pocahontas' maturity, while Belle is "a little older [than Ariel] and a little further along in their journey towards independence."[89] About.com's David Nusair believes that Belle belongs to a category of Disney Princesses known as "The Lady Vanishes," in which the heroines, in spite of being brave, outspoken and independent, nonetheless "are forced to behave passively as others help them achieve their respective goals."[90] Michelle Munro, writing for Durham College of Applied Arts and Technology, felt that even though Belle shares several traits with her more passive predecessors, the character introduced "new possibilities for princesses."[91] Girls in Capes wrote that Belle pioneered a generation of princesses who taught "about ambition, self-discovery and the pursuit of what we want."[86]  Additionally, Belle remains Disney's first and only princess to have hazel eyes.[92][93]

text: Appearances[edit]

text: Film and television[edit]

text: Belle debuted in Beauty and the Beast (1991) as a beautiful bibliophile[94][95] who, although praised by her fellow villagers for her unrivaled beauty, is at the same time ridiculed for her intelligence and non-conformity. Having grown weary of her uneventful provincial life, in which she is relentlessly romantically pursued by an arrogant hunter named Gaston, Belle longs for adventure. After her father's horse returns without its rider, she willingly ventures into the woods in search of her father. She persuades the Beast that she will trade her own freedom in return for her father's, since her father is ill in the dungeon, promising to remain with the Beast in his castle among his staff of enchanted objects forever. Belle's curiosity leads her to the forbidden west wing where she discovers an enchanted rose without realizing that it is tied to the Beast's fate; and the Beast's rage at her trespassing causes her to flee the castle on horseback.  Belle is pursued by wolves in the woods but they are driven off by the Beast, afterwards Belle helps the injured Beast back to the castle and nurses him back to health. Although she initially dislikes her captor, Belle gradually learns to accept the Beast in spite of his appearance and eventually befriends him. Belle and the Beast's strong bond greatly envies Gaston to the point of which he storms the castle and mortally wounds the Beast, though Gaston falls to his own death in the process. However, Belle confesses her love for the Beast just in time to break the spell under which he had been placed by an enchantress as punishment for his selfish ways, and the Beast ultimately transforms back into a handsome prince.[96]

text: In Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas (1997), Belle attempts to reignite the castle's waning spirit by reintroducing and celebrating Christmas, in spite of the Beast's strong resentment towards the holiday. Meanwhile, a solemn pipe organ named Forte grows determined to sabotage Belle and the Beast's burgeoning friendship because he longs to maintain his co-dependent relationship with his master. Tricked by Forte into retrieving a large Christmas tree from a frozen pond, Belle nearly drowns, only to be rescued by the Beast. The Beast, however, having been misinformed by Forte, wrongly accuses Belle of trying to escape again, and locks her in the dungeon as punishment. When the Beast finally discovers the truth, they forgive each other, and Belle helps him thwart Forte's plan to destroy the castle.[97] Beauty and the Beast: Belle's Magical World (1998), depicts Belle as she interacts with both the Beast and his enchanted servants in various segments, exploring themes such as forgiveness, friendship, cooperation and respect.[98]

text: In Belle's Tales of Friendship (1999), a spin-off of the film series, Belle owns a bookstore in which she teaches valuable lessons to children by reading and retelling well-known stories and fairy tales, narrating four classic Disney animated shorts: The Three Little Pigs (1933), Peter and the Wolf (1946), The Wise Little Hen (1934) and Morris the Midget Moose (1950). For the first time, Belle appears as both animated and live-action versions of herself, voiced and portrayed by actresses Paige O'Hara and Lyndsey McLeod, respectively. In the television series Sing Me a Story with Belle (1995–1999), Belle, in a role reprised by McLeod, owns her own music and bookshop, where she is visited by children to whom she tells and sings stories.[99]

text: Belle appeared in the animated television series Disney's House of Mouse and its direct-to-video films Mickey's Magical Christmas: Snowed in at the House of Mouse and Mickey's House of Villains.[52] In the television series, Belle is voiced by American actress and singer Jodi Benson, while O'Hara reprises her role in the film.[52][100][101]

text: A live-action version of Belle appears as a main character in the ABC television series Once Upon a Time, where she serves as the love interest of Rumplestiltskin (who is the show's version of the Beast). She is portrayed by Australian actress Emilie de Ravin.[102] Another live-action version of the character appeared in the 2015 television film Descendants, where she was played by Keegan Connor Tracy and serves as the Queen of the United States of Auradon. The series Sofia the First included a cameo by Belle in a 2013 episode.[103] British actress Amy Jackson who portrayed as Belle opposite Indian actor Vikram, who being portrayed as Beast for sequences in a dreamy song "Ennodu Nee Irundhal" in the 2015 Tamil language romantic thriller "I".[104] The original prosthetic make-up for the characters were provided by Sean Foot (Shaun) and Davina Lamont and additional works were done by National Film Award winners—Christien Tinsley and Dominie Till.[105][106]

text: Beauty and the Beast (2017 live action film)[edit]

text: In January 2015, Emma Watson announced that she would be portraying Belle in a live-action version of the film,[107] which was released in 2017.[108] Beauty and the Beast was the first of the Disney remakes in which an A-list actress portrays a Disney princess. As a feminist and model, Watson suggested several changes to the character in the live-action film. For costume design Watson rejected the traditional "big princess dress" and corset for the golden gown as that would have reduced her mobility, with the gown seen as crucial for marketing the film, while for the village scenes she requested boots instead of ballet slippers to give the character more ruggednes. Nonetheless Belle's attire in the live-action remake largely stays true to its animated predecessor.[109][110]

text: Thanks to Watson's influence, Belle is not only a bookworm but also an inventor like her father - she uses her inventions for everyday chores such as laundry, which in turn provides her with time to pursue her passion for reading. It is also revealed that Belle's mother died of a disease plague during Belle's infancy, consequently Maurice is somewhat overprotective of Belle and does not allow her to leave the village. For instance, Maurice creates "music boxes playing tunes from faraway places, in a bid to sate her thirst for exploration", as he is unwilling to let Belle be adventurous due to her mother's death, although Belle harbors no hard feelings about this.[111] Watson's portrayal of Belle won her the MTV Movie Award for Best Performance at the 2017 MTV Movie & TV Awards and the Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Actress – Sci-Fi/Fantasy at the 2017 Teen Choice Awards.[112][113] She also received nominations for the Empire Award for Best Actress, the Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Award for "Favorite Movie Actress" and the Saturn Award for Best Actress.[114][115][116]

text: Broadway musical[edit]

text: Belle appeared in the Broadway musical adaptation of Beauty and the Beast. The role was originated by actress Susan Egan,[117] who was initially reluctant to audition for Beauty and the Beast because she "thought it was a terrible idea for Disney to put a cartoon on Broadway."[118] However, her agent managed to convince her otherwise,[118] and Egan ultimately turned down callbacks for roles in the musicals My Fair Lady, Carousel and Grease in favor of starring as Belle in Beauty and the Beast because she had always wanted to originate a Broadway role.[119] Egan had never watched Beauty and the Beast prior to her audition,[119] relying solely on "her own creative instincts" instead.[118] Egan's performance earned her a Tony Award nomination for Best Actress in a Musical at the 48th Tony Awards.[120] A total of seventeen actresses have portrayed Belle in the Broadway musical, among them recording artists Debbie Gibson and Toni Braxton, The Sopranos' Jamie-Lynn Sigler, and Disney Channel alumnae Christy Carlson Romano and Anneliese van der Pol,[121] the latter of whom became Broadway's final Belle when the show ended its thirteen-year-long run in 2007.[122] Actress Sarah Litzsinger remains Broadway's longest-running Belle.[123]

text: A best-selling R&B singer, Braxton made her Broadway debut when she was cast as Belle in 1998,[124][125] turning down actress Halle Berry's role in the film Why Do Fools Fall In Love (1998).[126] Braxton's desire to pursue an acting career stemmed from a series of conflicts with the singer's record label at the time,[127] in turn making her the only African American to portray Belle in the show's history.[126] Belle's ballad "A Change in Me" was written by songwriters Alan Menken and Tim Rice specifically for Braxton. However, the song was ultimately so well-received that it has been included in the musical ever since.[128][129] During her tenure as Belle, Braxton was stalked by an "obsessed fan."[130][131] The stalker had reportedly "bombarded" Braxton with threatening e-mails and letters.[132] Several measures were taken to ensure the singer's safety, including forcing Braxton to dress in full disguise when traveling to and from the theatre in addition to reducing her total number of weekly performances from eight to seven.[130][132][133] The stalker was eventually arrested and charged with "aggravated harassment."[134]

text: Miscellaneous[edit]

text: Belle along with Beast and Chip appeared at the 64th Academy Awards as presenters for Best Animated Short Feature. She also makes a brief cameo appearance in Disney's 34th animated feature film The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996) during the "Out There" musical sequence.[135]

text: She was featured as one of the seven Princesses of Heart in the Kingdom Hearts video game series.[136][137]

text: Belle was also the main character in various comic books based on the film, including one set during Belle's stay at the castle published by Marvel Comics, and a prequel set several years before the film distributed by Disney Comics. In the former, the storylines generally have the servants trying to coax Belle into doing something with the Beast, only for it to backfire and nearly ruin their friendship before they make up. In the latter serial, Belle ends up locked up in a cellar by village children after reluctantly playing pirates with them, and later nearly goes down the path leading to Beast's castle. The latter serial also implies that she holds misandric views and refuses to associate herself with the village children, especially the males, due to their not being as well-versed in literature as she.[138]

text: Belle and the other characters from the first movie appear in the stage show, Beauty and the Beast Live on Stage at Disney's Hollywood Studios, Walt Disney World. Belle appears in a meet-and-greet attraction at Magic Kingdom's Fantasyland called Enchanted Tales with Belle. In season 18 of Dancing With the Stars, Danica McKellar played Belle while performing a Quickstep on a Disney themed episode. Ginger Zee and Edyta Śliwińska also both portrayed Belle while performing a Foxtrot and Waltz respectively during the Disney night episode of the 22nd season of Dancing with the Stars. Emma Slater then played Belle while dancing a Foxtrot during the Disney theme night of the show's 24th season.

text: Belle, alongside other Disney Princesses, is set to cameo in the film Ralph Breaks the Internet, as was announced at the 2017 D23 Expo, with Paige O'Hara returning to the role after seven years.[139]

text: Reception[edit]

text: Critical response[edit]

text: Belle has garnered widespread acclaim from film critics,[140][141][142] several of whom voiced their preference for the character over her predecessor, Ariel from The Little Mermaid.[142] Hal Hinson of The Washington Post described Belle as a "compelling" character who is "more mature, more womanly and less blandly asexual" than Ariel, as well as "a more worldly girl", describing her as "a bookworm, with gumption and a mind of her own."[143] Similarly comparing Belle to Ariel, John Hartl of The Seattle Times wrote that, in Beauty and the Beast, "there's rarely a sense of deja vu, perhaps because the heroine is so different from 'Mermaid's' dependent Ariel, and her dilemma is more poignant,"[144] while Boxoffice scribed, "Undoubtedly in response to criticism that the cute little 'Mermaid' Ariel was nothing more than a precocious sexpot, the idea-people behind this beauty—aptly named Belle ... chose to make her an icon of self-reliance and a voracious reader with a curiosity and love for everything around her."[145] Jennie Punter of The Globe and Mail extolled Belle as a "smart, courageous ... 'take-charge kind of gal'," while crowning her the "main attraction of Beauty and the Beast."[146] Emma Cochrane of Empire hailed Belle as "a feminist heroine who [is] more rounded than previous Disney characters",[147] while Paste's Annlee Ellingson similarly enjoyed the character's "feminist kick."[148] Stephen Hunter of The Baltimore Sun wrote that "Belle ... is no passive fairy tale princess, but a real live girl, with a spunky personality and her own private agenda."[149] TV Guide wrote that "The familiar narrative is strengthened by the independent, self-assured character of Belle," concluding, "Unlike Disney heroines from Snow White through Ariel, Belle is smart, knows what she wants, and doesn't spend her time pining away for the love of a handsome prince."[150] Marc Bernardin of Entertainment Weekly praised Belle's heroism, dubbing her "the hero" of Beauty and the Beast,[151] while Entertainment Weekly's Christian Blauvelt opined, "Unlike previous Disney heroines who needed to be rescued by a prince themselves, Belle not only saves the Beast's life, she saves his soul."[152] TLC's Vicki Arkoff received Belle as a "smart" and "sharp-tongued" heroine, crediting the character for "break[ing] Disney's passive-princess mold."[153] About.com's David Nusair described Belle as an "admirable" heroine.[154] AllMovie's Don Kaye and Perry Seibert echoed each other's reviews of the character, with Kaye describing both Belle and the Beast as "three-dimensional ... complex individuals who defy stereotyping and change over the course of the story,"[155] and Seibert calling Belle a "strong female character" who "sidesteps most of the clichés surrounding Disney heroines."[156] Common Sense Media hailed Belle as "one of Disney's smartest, most independent heroines."[157]

text: Meanwhile, Belle's relationship with the Beast has also been met with positive reviews. About.com's David Nusair wrote that "the palpable chemistry between Belle and The Beast ensur[es] that Beauty and the Beast lives up to its reputation as one of the most memorable romances of all time."[158] Describing it as an "unconventional romance," Charles Solomon of the Los Angeles Times opined, "The idea of a young woman learning to love a gentle heart hidden beneath a baleful exterior represented a major break with tradition."[77] Likewise, critics enjoyed O'Hara's performance. According to Variety, Belle was "magnificently voiced by O’Hara."[159] The Star-Ledger's Stephen Whitty enjoyed O'Hara's "pretty soprano."[160] John Hartl of The Seattle Times wrote, "O'Hara does a spirited job of investing the character with warmth, intuition and maturity,"[144] while the Sun-Sentinel's Candice Russel felt that O'Hara "does a good job of creating Belle as intellectual, wisely feminine and disarmed by the stirrings of her heart."[161] According to the Young Writers Society, Belle remains the best-reviewed Disney Princess to-date.[141]

text: One of the character's few negative reviews was written by Ethan Alter of Television Without Pity, who opined:

text: [T]he movie ... present[ed] audiences with a willful female protagonist that was firmly in control of her romantic destiny and regularly placed reading books above chasing after boys. And it's true that in that respect at least, Belle stood in stark contrast to past Disney heroines ... Still, the filmmakers didn't do the character any favors by swapping out that boy crazy trait for a pronounced maternalistic streak that comes across as a little creepy. Besides being utterly devoted to her father, Belle's relationship with the Beast possesses a distinctly mother/toddler dynamic ... Their romance also lacks spark because – due to the fundamental set-up of the narrative ... it's always clear that he needs her far more than she needs him. Particularly when compared to some of the dynamic animated heroines that came after her ... today Belle can't help but seem ... bland.

text: Feminist analysis[edit]

text: Jezebel determined that Belle "is often held up as the standard of the 'feminist' Disney princess."[163] According to Tales, Then and Now: More Folktales as Literary Fictions for Young Adults author Anna E. Altmann, Disney heavily promoted Beauty and the Beast as "a feminist fairy tale" due to Belle's characterization and role in the film.[164] In his book Hearing a Film, Seeing a Sermon: Preaching and Popular Movies, author Timothy B. Cargal agreed that the character indicated "Disney's ... continued efforts to reshape their heroines for a more feminist age."[165] According to Girl Culture: An Encyclopedia author Claudia Mitchell, Belle's feminism was influenced by third-wave feminism and the relatively new concept of girl power during the 1990s.[166] Feminist critics have been generally mixed in their analyses of Belle, arguing over whether or not the character is in fact "feminist enough."[75][167] Although Beauty and the Beast was initially lauded upon release for starring a "forward thinking and feminist" heroine,[168] critics tend to agree that, in spite of Belle's independence and resentment towards Gaston, Beauty and the Beast essentially remains a romance about a girl who finally "meets her ideal man."[169] Acknowledging that Belle "represented significant change from [her] sweet, mop-wielding predecessors," Twilight and History author Nancy Reagin observed that "the end result of fulfillment through marriage has been maintained."[170] Kathleen Maher of The Austin Chronicle cited Belle as an example of "pseudo-feminism" because she rejects one man, Gaston, in favor of another, a prince.[171] While commending Belle for "seeing past the beast's appearance," Judith Welikala of The Independent in the end accused the character of "melting back into the role of wife when he turns back into a handsome prince."[172] Fairy Tale author Andrew Teverson referred to Belle as Disney's attempt to address "feminist criticism of its representation of women in earlier films," but ultimately criticized the character's curiosity for "extend[ing] only to romance," additionally accusing her of being "a zealous individualist with a pathological hostility to common men and women."[173] Meanwhile, Stylist ranked Belle among the most feminist Disney characters, describing her as an "incredibly intelligent" woman who "doesn't stand for a man who considers her as just a piece of meat ... she wants someone who loves her for her mind too."[174] Acknowledging the character's "feminist longings," Daniel Eagen, author of America's Film Legacy: The Authoritative Guide to the Landmark Movies in the National Film Registry, cited Belle as Disney's "modern-day corrective to Snow White."[21] Beyond Adaptation: Essays on Radical Transformations of Original Works author Phyllis Frus wrote that, initially, Beauty and the Beast does not seem "remotely feminist." However, the author did acknowledge Belle as "an appealing character with a noticeable feminist streak," but in the end criticized Disney's Consumer Products of reversing what the film had nearly accomplished by inducting the character into the Disney Princess franchise.[167] In Refinery29's "Definitive Ranking Of Disney Princesses As Feminist Role Models," author Vanessa Golembewski ranked the character eighth but described her personality and ambitions as "confusing."[175] Complex's Tara Aquino described Belle as "a kinda feminist ... who's well-read, self-sufficient, and with standards high enough that she doesn't fall for the town's brain-dead pretty boy."[176][177]

text: Commentators have generally reacted more cynically towards Belle's relationship with the film's male characters, particularly the Beast, questioning its morality. Writing for the University of Central Florida, Faith Dickens felt that after Belle's introduction, the character becomes little more than "a vehicle for exploring the Beast's dilemmas," while her initial pining for adventure is replaced by romance. Dickens went on to criticize the fact that while Belle appears to be "perfect the way she is," the Beast "need[s] to be reformed."[168] Anna E. Altmann, author of Tales, Then and Now: More Folktales as Literary Fictions for Young Adults, disliked the fact that Belle appears to share a motherly relationship with both the Beast and Maurice. Altman also panned the fact that Belle's interest in reading appears to be limited to fairy tales, ultimately dismissing the character as little more than "a feisty North American version of" Beaumont's heroine.[164] Orange Coast writer Henry A. Giroux felt that Belle serves as little more than "a prop for resolving the Beast's problems."[178] Sonia Saraiya of Nerve ranked Belle the sixth most feminist Disney Princess, writing that, unlike Ariel, "Belle's sass doesn't come from teenage rebellion, but rather from intellectual acuity." Saraiya commended Belle for resisting "her village's expectations of what her life should look like," crediting her with being "the first princess to express some skepticism about married life." While calling Belle's sacrifice "brave," the author also labeled it "not much of a step for womankind," in the end accusing her of falling "for a domineering man."[179] Similarly, Kit Steinkellner of HelloGiggles expressed concern over the "abusive undercurrents running through Belle and Beast’s relationship."[88] Meanwhile, Bustle's Mary Grace Garis also commended Belle's aspirations and love of reading, but criticized her relationship with the Beast, concluding, "Though the ’90s showed a move toward princesses wanting to buck conventions and free themselves from their fathers (or the town misogynist) the endgame is the still the same, elaborating, "When the movie ends, they’re still solidly with a man, their dreams of adventure abandoned. Therefore, the Disney renaissance is characterized more by theoretical want of adventure rather than a genuine pursuit."[180]

text: Impact and legacy[edit]

text: Deemed an "iconoclast" by Boxoffice,[181] Belle continues to garner strong recognition for her role in Beauty and the Beast. Established as a cultural icon,[37][39][182][183] the character holds the distinction of being Disney's first feminist princess.[15][184] Commentators believe that the character's role in Beauty and the Beast as one of Disney's first strong female characters[185][186] is responsible for changing the way in which women would be depicted in subsequent animated films.[187][188] According to Kevin Fallon of The Daily Beast, before Belle "being a Disney princess meant singing songs about how much you love combing your hair with a fork and giving away your voice if it meant you got to marry the guy with that dreamy chiseled jaw".[189] The Los Angeles Times' Charles Solomon considers Belle to be among four Disney Princesses responsible for breaking "the bonds of convention."[190] About.com's David Nusair agreed that Belle successfully "updated the princess formula for an entirely new generation."[90] The Atlantic's Lindsay Lowe echoed Nusair's sentiment, citing Belle as the character responsible for ending Disney's "history of ... docile heroines."[187] The Daily Campus' Cathy Schmidt recognized Belle and Ariel as "the beginnings of the more modern Disney princesses."[191] Writing for Virgin Media, Limara Salt believes that the character "proved that audiences could fall in love with a brown-haired intellectual."[142] A survey conducted by Disney after the film's release determined that Belle's love of books inspired young women to read.[47] Justin Humphreys of The Hook expressed, "Belle remains a most successful princess because people can relate" to her.[192] Elina Bolokhova of Parenting believes that Belle's "bravery and independence helped redefine the meaning of a Disney princess."[188] According to Justine McGrath of Teen Vogue, Belle has "become one of the most popular classic Disney princesses of all time."[193] Commending her intelligence and lack of vanity, the character was placed at number one on E!'s ranking of the Disney Princesses,[194] while Cosmopolitan ranked her fourth.[195] In the magazine's "Definitive Ranking Of Disney Princesses", Seventeen ranked Belle fifth.[196] Similarly, BuzzFeed also ranked the character fifth, praising her love of reading.[197] A reader poll conducted by BuzzFeed also determined that Belle is the most popular Disney Princess, having garnered 18% of votes.[198] Belle is the fifth most successful Disney Princess in terms of box office revenue, with Beauty and the Beast having grossed over $350 million.[199][200] However, Belle was the lowest-selling Disney Princess on eBay in 2013, with sales of less than $7,000 despite the fact that she is often cited as a customer favorite.[201][202]

text:
“

As Disney heroines go, Belle was an iconoclast. Her strong-willed, independent personality feels invigorating in a medium where most damsels are in distress. That was definitely true 20 years ago when Beauty was released, and it's still half-true today.

”

— Boxoffice's Todd Gilchrist explaining the way in which Belle altered Disney heroines for the 20th and 21st centuries.[203]

text: Belle is considered to be among Disney's most beloved animated heroines.[41] According to Scott Huver of People, the character's "popularity remains a force to be reckoned with" even 25 years after the film's release.[39] Belle was the only animated heroine nominated for the American Film Institute's greatest heroes in film ranking;[204] only eight women were included on the final list.[205] CNN ranked Belle among "Merida and other animated heroines", a list recognizing some of Disney's greatest heroines.[206] According to the Daily Mirror, Belle is Disney's second most iconic character, behind only Mickey and Minnie Mouse, describing her as a "portrait of bravery, teaching us to look beyond appearances and stand up for what we believe in."[207] Meanwhile, PopMatters ranked Belle Disney's second best hero.[208] Considered to be both a sex symbol and fashion icon, Belle has garnered accolades for both her appearance and costumes.[209] The character was ranked 64th on UGO's list of the most attractive female cartoon characters,[210] while being ranked 14th on Complex's "25 Hottest Cartoon Women of All Time".[211] E! ranked Belle the second best-dressed Disney Princess, crowning her "the most couture of all the Disney princesses." Author Emily Popp went on to praise the character's ballgown for being "off the Oscar de la Renta runway,"[212] while Vogue included it among the "Most Famous Dresses", with author Sarah Karmali dubbing it "One of the most instantly recognizable dresses in Disney history."[213] Revered as iconic,[214] the dress is currently among the most famous in film history 25 years after its debut.[20][71] Belle appeared on BuzzFeed's "Definitive Ranking Of 72 Disney Princess Outfits" four times, ranking the character's green, blue, pink and yellow dresses 51st, 37th, 31st and 15th, respectively.[215] Similarly, Belle's blue, pink, yellow and green costumes were ranked 18th, 10th, ninth and fourth by Official Disney Blogs, whose author believes that the character's ballgown "went down in the history books."[216] Belle appeared on Stylist's list of the "Best beauty looks in Disney" twice, both for the character's hairstyles.[217] Entertainment Weekly ranked Belle's hair fifth in the magazine's "Disney Princesses: Ranking Their Hairdos – and Don'ts!"[218]

text: Belle helped establish Woolverton as a "legendary screenwriter";[18] the writer continues to be commended for her dedication to creating strong female characters; ever since Belle, the majority of Woolverton's female characters have been headstrong, independent women, namely Nala in The Lion King (1994), Mulan in Mulan (1998), Alice in Alice in Wonderland (2010) and Maleficent in Maleficent (2014).[14] Susan Wloszczyna of Indiewire wrote that "Woolverton set a new standard for fully fleshed-out fairy-tale heroines ... with Belle",[25] in turn paving the way for The Hunger Games' Katniss Everdeen, and Frozen's Anna and Elsa (2013).[14] Woolverton remains protective of Belle,[15] explaining, "[she] was my first-born child, so there’s a little bit of possessiveness, which really I had to let it go".[27][219] Beauty and the Beast, Belle performs the film's opening number, "Belle", which was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song at the 64th Academy Awards in 1992.[220] In 1998, O'Hara was nominated for an Annie Award for Outstanding Individual Achievement for Voice Acting by a Female Performer in an Animated Feature Production for reprising her role as Belle in the second of Beauty and the Beast's three direct-to-video sequels, Belle's Magical World.[221] To commemorate her work on Beauty and the Beast and various contributions to Disney, O'Hara was honored with a Disney Legends award on August 19, 2011.[222] Disney hired Spanish actress Penélope Cruz to pose as Belle in photographer Annie Leibovitz's Disney Dream Portrait Series,[223] while actor Jeff Bridges posed as the Beast.[224] The Daily Mail described the image as Cruz "wearing Belle's gorgeous yellow gown and being lifted high into the air by her prince,"[225] accompanied by the phrase "Where a moment of beauty lasts forever."[226]