Movie director Bill Condon stated in a promotional interview for "Beauty and the Beast" in 2017 that viewers will witness a "nice, exclusively gay moment in a Disney movie."

However, the anticipated scene turned out to be rather fleeting.

Josh Gad has now addressed the concerns surrounding his character, LeFou, in the live-action remake, particularly those that are sexuality-related.

Gad discussed how the audience reacted to that specific scenario in his most recent book, "In Gad We Trust."

In the scene, LeFou was spotted dancing with a man.

In a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, he remarked, "I mean, if I were gay, I'm sure I'd be pissed."

The actor further explained the character's minimal presence and the fleeting nature of the scene, which did not meet the director's expectations. He added that he did not perceive LeFou as the representation the LGBTQ+ community had longed for.

"I can't quite imagine a Pride celebration in honor of the 'cinematic watershed moment' involving a quasi-villainous Disney sidekick dancing with a man for half a second," Gad said.

During the making of the Disney movie, a discussion took place between Gad, Condon, and the screenwriters, which was described as a "casual (but ultimately seismic) conversation." They spoke about the complexities of LeFou's devotion to Gaston and whether or not LeFou had love or admiration for him.

Gad described in the book how the collaborators came to the conclusion that LeFou's adoration for Gaston was not based on romantic sentiments but rather "deep-seated love and appreciation."

He further explained LeFou's deep-seated love, appreciation, and belief in Gaston were a result of their shared experiences in battle over the years.

After much discussion, Gad said the team collectively agreed that diving into LeFou's sexual orientation was a key element to thoroughly examine in a whimsical character within the movie.

"Because I was a side character, I didn't want to suddenly throw the weight of sexuality on this character that in no way was driving the film, but the moment (as described to me) seemed harmless enough – a fun blink-and-you'll-miss-it little beat," he said.

"Everyone looked at each other and said: 'Wait, that's it? That's what all the fuss was about?'"

During the film's production, Gad said that he was never informed about the character's sexuality being a major focus of the movie.

"Never once was the moment in this film described to me as something that we were going to hang a lantern on and pat ourselves on the back for."

"If it had, I never would have agreed to the seemingly sweet and innocuous moment," he revealed. "It was both too little and not enough to be anything more than it was."

In his response, the actor acknowledged the controversial nature of the issue, stating that the uproar stemmed from their decision to bring it to light.

"Had the audience defined it as a sweet exclusively gay moment, I would have been delighted! But the second we pointed it out and seemingly congratulated ourselves, we had invited hell and fury."

Tags
Josh Gad, Beauty and the Beast