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Josh Gad Thrills ‘Beauty And The Beast’ Moviegoers With Opening Night Visits

By Shayla D
Published on: 13:40 PST, Mar 16, 2017

Josh Gad surprised several Beauty and the Beast fans by showing up at random movie theaters for opening night. Gad posted videos of his surprise appearances to his Twitter account and the reactions of the stunned New York moviegoers are priceless.

Josh Gad plays the character of LeFou in the newly released version of Beauty and the Beast. Gad’s character has been stirring up controversy ahead of the release of the Beast as it was revealed that LeFou would openly exhibit gay feelings for Gaston in the new version.

Though the reported scenes are said to be subtle and minimal, Gad addressed the controversy over LeFou with People last week. “What I would say is that this film is one of inclusiveness. It’s one that has something to offer everyone,” Gad remarked. “There is so much fear out there of that which we don’t understand that which we don’t know.”

Josh Gad, who surprised ‘Beauty and the Beast’ audiences Thursday night, thinks too much has been made of LeFou’s love for Gaston. [Image by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Disney]

Gad reiterated in a USA Today interview that there was too much attention being paid to his character’s sexuality and not enough of the movie’s overall theme and complexities brought forth by multiple characters in the film.

“You have a character, Gaston, who literally preys on people’s fears and gets them to attack the home of somebody they’ve never met before, who has never in any way presented a danger to them. Why? Because he uses his charm to whip them up in a frenzy. Now that’s a theme that is sadly as relevant today as it was when Beauty and the Beast was first written,” Gad stated.

Josh frequently takes to social media to discuss how disheartened he is with threats of terror and the current administration’s lack of support for the arts.

Josh Gad has been heavily promoting Beauty and the Beast this week in preparation of opening weekend with appearances on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon as well as The Late Late Show with James Corden. On The Tonight Show, Josh joined Jimmy in a Disney autotune sing-along with the game Box of Microphones.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zkcqEooAsss

On The Late Late Show, Gad and his Beauty and the Beast co-stars Luke Evans and Dan Stevens joined James Corden in a hilarious rendition of the film by performing scenes in a Los Angeles crosswalk while traffic was stopped. Josh Gad was particularly thrilled about this visit because he not only reprised the role of LeFou but also got to play the role of the candlestick, Lumiere.

Josh Gad is a multi-talented actor known for his Tony-nominated performance in Broadway’s The Book of Mormon as well as his roles as the voice for Olaf the snowman in Disney’s Frozen and the FX show The Comedians co-starring Billy Crystal. Josh is what is known as a triple threat for his ability to sing, dance, and act. While Gad’s role of LeFou in Beauty and the Beast may not be a lead role, Josh seems to have been perfectly cast as the lovable goofball character he has portrayed in such movies as The Rocker and The Wedding Ringer.

Gad, who is the father of two young daughters, told the Today Show earlier this week that the live-action version of Beauty and the Beast is really a movie for people of all ages. Josh recalled seeing the animated version of the film in theaters as a kid and noted along with host Jenna Bush Hager that even adults will like the new take on the tale as old as time. Beauty and the Beast is expected to rake in at least $200 million during opening weekend.

[Featured Image by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for Walt Disney Studios]

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