H.E.R. will play Belle in ‘Beauty and the Beast’ special

The five-time Grammy Award winner is set to star in a new live-action Disney production of the classic, airing on ABC in December.

TheGrio Staff

Jul 21, 2022

Five-time Grammy Award winner H.E.R will play Belle in a new live-action Disney production of “Beauty and the Beast.” The casting announcement was made Wednesday in a joint statement from ABC.

“I can’t believe I get to be a part of the Beauty and the Beast legacy. The world will see a Black and Filipino Belle!” said H.E.R. in the statement, per People. “I have always wanted to be a Disney princess, and I get to work with two wonderful directors Hamish Hamilton and my favorite, Jon M. Chu. It is very surreal and I couldn’t be more grateful.”

H.E.R., who was just cast to star as Belle in ABC’s “Beauty and The Beast” special, attends the 64th annual Grammy Awards at MGM Grand Garden Arena in April in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)

“Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration,” which will air on Dec. 15, is executive produced by Chu (of “In the Heights”) and will be directed by Hamilton.

“With her obvious extraordinary talent and stage presence, H.E.R. is the perfect embodiment of our Belle, and we are thrilled for audiences to see her in this celebration of creativity,” Chu said, according to The Hollywood Reporter. “We were both influenced as storytellers by the original animated movie, so it’s very exciting to collaborate together to honor the artistry of that timeless classic while also inspiring a whole new generation of creators.”

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The ABC special will feature a mix of live-action and animation, as well as musical performances, sets and costumes all inspired by the 1991 animated classic.

H.E.R. is continuing to build up her acting portfolio. She will also appear in next year’s highly anticipated Warner Bros. adaptation of “The Color Purple,” which also stars Fantasia and Danielle Brooks.

The 25-year-old Bay Area native won a Song of the Year Grammy Award in 2021 for “I Can’t Breathe,” which was inspired by the police murder of George Floyd. H.E.R. is also an Academy Award winner, snagging an Oscar for “Fight for You,” from last year’s film, “Judas and the Black Messiah.”

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