BEAUTY AND THE BEAST's Jesse Conti On Voicing LeFou
- Details
- Category: Interviews
- Created: Tuesday, 10 January 2012 22:21
- Published: Tuesday, 10 January 2012 22:21
- Written by Lupe Haas
Twenty-one years after BEAUTY AND THE BEAST first appeared on the big screen, the Walt Disney Animation Studios’ magical classic returns to the big screen starting January 13 in Disney Digital 3D™, introducing a whole new generation to the Disney classic story and characters with stunning new 3D imagery.
CineMovie spoke with Jessi Conti, the voice of LeFou in BEAUTY IN THE BEAST, to reminisce on making of the animated tale and the lasting effects of the Disney favorite in his career and personal life.
Besides voice acting, Jessi Conti has made many appearance in front of the camera as an actor in television shows such as "Desperate Housewives," 24, "Heroes," and "The Shield." He has spent most of his career on Broadway as part of the cast of "Les Miserables" and "Jesus Christ Superstar," and contributed his singing talents to Tony, Oscar and Grammy award-winning records including on Michael Jackson's album History by Michael Jackson.
Did you have any involvement in the new re-release of the movie?
No.. I did not have to do anything. Once in a while they will call you to do “efforts”...What they call “efforts” in a movie..But the movie has been so refined and done so well that they really did not add anything to it. Way back in 2001, they added a song that was put in the broadway show...
What is your fondest memory when you did the voice of Lefou?
Disney flew me and my family out to Disney World and they did a parade. I always remember that. They turned an entire area of Disney World into the first scene that you see in the movie.... 'There goes the baker with his tray like always' It actually looked like the town. Like you were there in France. It was beautiful and wonderful. And of course I saw my character. So I really enjoyed that and waving my hand from a car hearing Jesse Conti: Lefou. That was quite a neat experience.
What do you remember as far as finding the right voice for Lefou?
You know, when you go to these auditions - one of the things that Disney wanted were actors that could act and sing. And good singers, not just ones that could carry a tune. These songs are not the easiest songs to sing. Howard Ashman and Alan Menken won for obviously, best original score...They wanted excellence. So you never know.. I went in there and I was doing Les Miserables at the time on Broadway so I was used to singing and performing. I had worked at the public theatre, so I was an actor. When I went in there they showed me a pic of the character and he looked the opposite of who I was. I tried to make him small and funny because the actor playing opposite of me, Gaston, was 6’5 . I went in to read with him and I told him that I was going to do this and do that, and bump into you here, and thats what I did. He just went along with it. They loved it. Low and behold my character became small, instead of 7 feet tall. You make a choice. They say talent is in the choices. You make a choice, sometimes its a home run, and sometimes they say thank you very much, send the next person in.
I think your character was one of the fondest and most memorable characters from the movie.
When I first saw it, it was at the New York Film Festival, and it wasn’t finished yet, they just had a sneak preview. So I saw it. Some of it was drawings, some of it was actual movement, and some of it was pretty good. I remember when that song “Gaston” came on, there was an applause in the movie theatre. After the song I said, “Oh my Gosh, this is going to be really big.”
Was that when you first realized that this was going to be a Disney classic? Or did you realize that in the early stages of making the film?
Well, I always hoped it was going to be a Disney classic, but you know Disney has very, very few misses and you can count them on two fingers maybe. I mean they’re so successful, anything that they do. So, I always knew it was going to be successful but not to the point where it was going to be worldwide. You know, translated into so many different languages.....put on Broadway and run till 2007 with over 5000 performances. I mean that’s unheard of.
Did you ever get to do the Spanish voice for the character?
Yes. I’m from Venezuela...South America... and I came here. They did not know that I spoke Spanish but I was with Peter Schneider, the executive producer on the film, and we were talking one day at lunch. I said something to the waiter in Spanish. So Peter said, “You speak Spanish?” I said, “Yeah.” He said, “Listen, we’re going to be doing this in Spanish, I mean can you do Lefou?” So I think I’m the only one that I know in the entire history of Disney movies that has actually done the role both in Spanish and in English, sung both in Spanish and English, and did the actual voices for both characters. So I was very fortunate and blessed that I was able to do that.
Were you able to maintain the same tone? Was it a little bit harder when you did the Spanish version?
Well, in English you can say something in one word, in one syllable and in Spanish it will take three syllables. So the actual work had to go into the actual translation from the English to the Spanish. We were able to do it. Did I tell you that I also do the German version? Just kidding.
Have you seen the 3D version? What are you expecting? Are you excited to see it?
I am excited to see it. I have not seen it yet, but I look forward to seeing it. I can’t wait. Some people that work for Disney have told me that it’s incredible. I will see it soon.
Did you have kids at the time when you did the voice? Do you have kids now? Whats the experience like for them, seeing their dad on screen in a Disney classic?
Well, my son was about one and a half at the time. So, he was not able to really enjoy it. But in 2001, when Disney took the film out of a vault: because when the movies come out, you can buy them for about a year and a half, maybe two and then they go into a vault. You can’t buy or rent them; they’re not around. So obviously I had the movie and I showed it to my son..... I think it won an award for best DVD in 2001. And they were able to see it. My daughter is 17 now, and my son is 22 and they were able to fully enjoy it and fully get that dad did this.
What do you have coming up?
I did a movie called, Night of the Living Dead, which is a graphic novel in animation. That will be out in 2012. Like we need another vampire movie, right? I look forward to seeing that. It should probably come out around Halloween.
Now, you have kind of done everything. You’ve done the singing, the video game voice overs, live action. Is there a favorite or do you just like mixing it up?
You know, I have been blessed that I have been able to do a lot of things in my career. A lot of different things that people don’t get an opportunity to do. I’ve been one of the few that have been able to do Broadway, big motion pictures, animation, voice overs, and video games. I think being on stage, even though I hate working on Saturday’s and Sunday’s, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and New Years... I think what I enjoy the most is doing theatre because if you make a mistake, you have to make it up the next day. You can’t say cut, lets do that again. You’re really on your toes doing theatre. The great thing about film is its on celluloid, it’s there forever. So forever, generations are going to get to enjoy Beauty and the Beast. For me I enjoy theatre most.