Belle (Beauty and the Beast) Belle (Beauty and the Beast) Belle is a fictional character who appears in Walt Disney Pictures' animated feature film "Beauty and the Beast" (1991). Originally voiced by American actress and singer Paige O'Hara, Belle is the non-conforming daughter of an inventor who yearns to abandon her predictable village life in return for adventure. When her father Maurice is imprisoned by a cold-hearted beast, Belle offers him her own freedom in exchange for her father's, and eventually learns to love the Beast despite his unsightly outward appearance. Walt Disney Studios chairman Jeffrey Katzenberg commissioned "Beauty and the Beast" as an animated
Beauty and the Beast (Disney song) success," while "People" wrote that the release of "Beauty and the Beast" is when the singer truly went "global." In the wake of "Beauty and the Beast"'s success, young fans who had not yet learned Dion's name would simply refer to her as "Beauty and the Beast". The commercial success of "Beauty and the Beast" ultimately earned Dion a $10 million recording contract with Sony Music International; the song was then included on Dion's successful self-titled studio album, serving as the record's "cornerstone". American musician Prince was so moved by Dion's performance on "Beauty and the Beast" after hearing it