December 15, 2022
H.E.R. Finds New Side of Herself as Star of ABC’s ‘Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration’
Black women are nailing their roles as Disney princesses.
Grammy- and Oscar-winning singer H.E.R., originally named Gabi Wilson, will be playing the famous Disney princess, Belle, during ABC’s Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration.
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According to Entertainment Weekly, the artist said the role is a more meaningful experience than winning an Oscar, because the journey is what it’s all about.
“I’ve loved every Disney princess, but I never had a favorite because I never felt as connected because I didn’t see anybody that looked like me,” the 25-year-old musician said.
“There’s no Filipino princesses, so to be a Black and Filipino Belle is huge. It’s been a long time coming, and I’m happy that we’re here and we’re getting to see ourselves in the people that we see on TV and film.”
“I enjoy the process,” the “Damage” singer said. “I’ve never done this for the awards. It’s so amazing to get recognized. It really is. And I hope to continue to be recognized for the hard work. But at the end of the day, it’s more fun to be in it and doing it than watching it.
“The little girl in me that’s always been the hard worker and not really cared about what it looks as much as what it feels like, I’m getting back to that,” she continued.
The singer shared the moment she put on the iconic yellow dress for the first time.
“It was very much an arrival. It was confirmation, and it brought something new out of me,” she said.
“The character of Belle really unlocked a new side of me, a femininity and what I feel that is to me. A more ambitious side of me. I started walking different and smiling different when I discovered myself in this character, especially in the yellow dress,” she added.
According to Playbill, Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration airs tonight, Dec.15, on ABC at 8 PM ET.