Paige O'Hara

Donna Paige Helmintoller, better known as Paige O'Hara, is an American actress, voice actress, singer, and painter, who is best known for her signature Disney role as Belle in Disney's 1991 highly successful animated feature film Beauty and the Beast.
O'Hara was critically-acclaimed for both her speaking and singing voices in the film and also for the unique tone that she brought to Belle (said to be of a Judy Garland-like quality), which captured her personality. According to Beauty and the Beast filmmakers, O'Hara's voice had a similar tone to that of Wizard of Oz star Judy Garland, which partially won her the role.
O'Hara reprised her role as Belle in most of the character's subsequent appearances. However, she was substituted by Lynsey McLeod in the live-action television spin-off Sing Me a Story with Belle. O'Hara and McLeod do, however, co-star in the Beauty and the Beast direct-to-video midquel Belle's Tales of Friendship, with O'Hara voicing the animated version of the character and McLeod portraying the live-action version. O'Hara reprised her role in the midquels The Enchanted Christmas and Belle's Magical World. She also sang the song "Belle" at the 1992 Academy Awards.
O'Hara also makes a cameo appearance in the 2007 feature film Enchanted as a character in a soap opera named Angela that Prince Edward watches on TV.
In August 2011, O'Hara was honored as a Disney Legend alongside fellow Disney Princess voice actresses Jodi Benson, Linda Larkin, Lea Salonga, and Anika Noni Rose.
As of 2011, she was replaced as the official voice of Belle since it was becoming increasing difficult for her to match Belle's original girlish tone, though she still paints the character for Disney Fine Art. She also continues to do promotional appearances for Disney. Julie Nathanson has since assumed the role of Belle, primarily in video games, beginning with Kinect: Disneyland Adventures. Coincidentally, they both share the same birthday.
In 2015, O'Hara also offered to help actress Emma Watson with her singing lessons for her role as Belle in the 2017 live-action remake of Beauty and the Beast. The following year, O'Hara appeared at numerous special screenings of Beauty and the Beast in honor of the film's 25th anniversary. O'Hara reprised the role of Belle in Ralph Breaks the Internet. In 2022, O'Hara made a cameo as the bookseller in Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration. She once again voiced Belle in the 2023 short Once Upon a Studio.
==Roles==
Belle 2008.jpg|Belle(Beauty and the Beast franchise; 1991-2011, 2018, 2023)
Angela on Television.jpg|Angela(Enchanted)
Paige 30th.jpg|Bookseller(Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration)
==Gallery==
Paige O'Hara behind the scenes BatB.jpg|Paige O'Hara behind the scenes of Beauty and the Beast.
Paige O'Hara at the 64th Oscars 1.JPG|O'Hara performing "Belle" at the 64th Academy Awards ceremony.
Paige o'hara at the 64th Oscars 2.JPG| Paige O'Hara and Richard White at the 64th Oscars.
Paige-o'hara-blue-dress.jpg|Paige O'Hara at the Beauty and the Beast remake premiere in March 2017.
Paige-with-emma.jpg|Paige O'Hara with Emma Watson, (the live-action Belle) at Beauty and the Beast remake premiere.
Disney+Princess+Voice+Actresses+D23+EXPO+2017.jpg|Paige O’Hara along with other Disney Princess voice actresses and Sarah Silverman, at the D23 Expo 2017.
LindaLarkin, JenniferHale, Paige O'Hara, Auli'i Cravalho, and Irene Bedard.jpg|Paige O'Hara with Linda Larkin, Jennifer Hale, Auli'i Cravalho, and Irene Bedard at Ralph Breaks the Internet premiere at the El Capitan Theatre in November 2018.
Pensacon 2 2019.jpeg|The Disney Voice Actors panel at Pensacon 2019 featuring Keith Coogan, Irene Bedard, Linda Larkin, Paige O'Hara, and Bradley Pierce.
Paige O' Hara with her Belle paintings.jpg|Paige with her Belle paintings
Paige O' Hara Belle painting 1.jpg
Paige O' Hara Belle painting 2.jpg
Paige O' Hara Belle painting 3.jpg
Paige O' Hara Belle painting 4.png
Paige O' Hara Belle painting 5.jpg
Paige O' Hara Belle painting 6.jpg
BATB-30th-Exclusive.jpg|H.E.R. with Alan Menken and Paige O'Hara.
BATB-30th-Exclusive 04a.jpg|Paige O'Hara and Richard White on the set of Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration.
==External links==
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es:Paige O'Hara
ja:ペイジ・オハラ
pl:Paige O'Hara
pt-br:Paige O'Hara
Category:Females
Category:1950s births
Category:People from Florida
Category:American people
Category:Singers
Category:Disney Legends
Category:Voice actresses
Category:Actresses
Category:Artists
Category:Beauty and the Beast
Category:Kingdom Hearts
Category:Annie Award Nominated
Category:Disney Renaissance
Category:Enchanted
Category:Wreck-It Ralph
Category:Video game voice actors
Category:Performance models