Beast (Disney character)

Beast
The Beast with Belle.
First appearance	Beauty and the Beast (1991)
Created by	Linda Woolverton (Film Adaptation)
Portrayed by	Terrence Mann (Beauty and the Beast originated role for Broadway) Jeff Bridges (Disney Dreams Portraits photographs) Dan Payne (Descendants) Dan Stevens (Beauty and the Beast)
Voiced by	Robby Benson
Aliases	Prince Adam
Occupation	Prince
Significant other(s)	Belle
Children	Prince Ben (son; in Descendants only)
Relatives	Maurice (father-in-law)
Nationality	French

The Beast is a fictional character who appears in Walt Disney Animation Studios' 30th animated feature film Beauty and the Beast (1991). He also appears in the film's two direct-to-video followups Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas and Belle's Magical World. Based on the hero of the French fairy tale by Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont, the Beast was created by screenwriter Linda Woolverton and animated by Glen Keane.

A pampered prince transformed into a hideous beast as punishment for his cold-hearted and selfish ways, the Beast must, in order to return to his former self, earn the love of a beautiful young woman named Belle who he imprisons in his castle. All this must be done before the last petal falls from the enchanted rose on his twenty-first birthday. In all film and animated appearances, the Beast is voiced by American actor Robby Benson. In 1994, the film was adapted into a Broadway musical, with the role being originated by American actor Terrence Mann. Dan Stevens will play a live-action version of the character in an upcoming film.

Determining a suitable appearance for the Beast proved challenging. Although entirely fictional, supervising animator Glen Keane felt it essential for the Beast to resemble a creature that could possibly be found on Earth as opposed to an alien. Inspired by a buffalo head that he purchased from a taxidermy, Keane decided to base the Beast's appearance on a variety of wild animals, drawing inspiration from the mane of a lion, head of a buffalo, brow of a gorilla, tusks of a wild boar, legs and tail of a wolf and body of a bear. However, he felt it important that the Beast's eyes remain human. In fear that Glen Keane would design the Beast to resemble voice actor Robby Benson, Disney CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg did not allow Keane to see Benson during production of the film.