Ray (Disney)

Raymond "Ray" is a major character in The Princess and the Frog.
He is a romantic Cajun firefly from New Orleans who aids Naveen and Tiana in finding the kind voodoo priestess Mama Odie so she can cure them of their curse. He's also madly in love with the firefly star Evangeline in the sky.
He is voiced by Jim Cummings who also voices Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Pete, Tantor, and Cat.
==History==
One day in New Orleans, a handsome prince named Naveen was turned into a frog by a witch doctor named Facilier. Thinking she was a princess, Naveen kissed a girl named Tiana in an attempt to break the spell. However, due to Tiana not being an actual princess, Naveen remains a frog and Tiana is turned into a frog as well. The two eventually end up in the bayou, meeting Louis the alligator who decides to assist the two frogs by taking them to Mama Odie to break the curse. When Tiana and Naveen's frog instincts kick in, they attempt to eat Ray. However, they embarrassingly fail, having their tongues end up tied together by Louis. Spotting this, he flies over to help. After they are free, he introduces himself. With everyone greeted, Tiana and Naveen explain to him that they're actually humans under a frog curse casted by the evil Facilier and are on their way to Mama Odie's place to seek help from her.
Ray explains they're going in the wrong direction (as a result of Louis) and offers to lead the way, with the brief help of his firefly family. Soon enough, they are off. Eventually, he offers to take them the rest of the way, allowing his family to return home. As they continue on, he tells Tiana, Naveen, and Louis about his girlfriend, Evangeline. After the romantic description, they're attacked by frog hunters. He tries to fend them off, but one of the hunters defeats him, rendering him unconscious for the rest of the battle, which is fortunately won by Tiana and Naveen. He is soon revived by Louis.
Tiana and Naveen fix up dinner for the group, and afterwards, Evangeline appears, having Ray starstruck as he sings a balled about his beloved. During it, Naveen and Tiana begin falling for one another, much to his happiness. He, as well as Louis, begins setting a mood for the them, helping them realize their feelings. Unfortunately, the romantic moment is cut short when a hoard of demons sent by Facilier attack and capture Naveen. They are soon rescued by Mama Odie, however, who takes them to her home; a boat in a tree. Mama Odie informs Naveen and Tiana that the only way for them to become human again is for Naveen to be kissed by Charlotte La Bouff (Tiana's best friend), who has been made the Princess of Mardi Gras.
Ray accompanies them back to New Orleans, and in during which, Naveen finally reveals his feelings for Tiana to him, much to the latter's joy. Afterwards, he accidentally tells Tiana, though she only brightens up upon hearing the news, prompting her to go out and look for the prince to proclaim their love once they docked in New Orleans. However, unbeknownst to Ray, Louis, and Tiana, Naveen was kidnapped by Facilier's demons and imprisoned. It turns out, he wants to steal the fortune of Charlotte, making him the wealthiest man in New Orleans. To do so, he has his minion, Lawrence, disguise himself as Naveen via magic to marry Charlotte, thus inheriting her father's fortune and power.
Unfortunately, the master plan was near completion as Tiana and Ray come across Charlotte and what appeared to be Naveen on a parade float about to marry. Feeling he betrayed their love, a heartbroken Tiana leaves the scene. Ray tries to talk her through the moment, but she snaps and hurts him by calling Evangeline nothing more than a star, telling him to open his eyes before he gets hurt like she did. This drives him to tears and looks at Evangeline, but he refuses to believe her and claims for it to be nothing more than her 'speaking out a broken heart', and instead goes to reveal the truth. He discovers the Naveen about to marry Charlotte is actually a phony, and heroically finds the real one, frees him, and puts a stop to Facilier's plot. However, it turns out Lawrence's disguise is activated by a voodoo talisman. Naveen pulls the trinket off Lawrence and throws it to Ray who rushes it to Tiana and tells her to not let Shadow Man get it no matter what and run as Facilier summons his demons to stop him.
After handing the talisman over, Ray fights off Facilier's demons, but the latter soon arrives and crushes Ray, fatally injuring him. His wounded body is recovered by Louis, who takes him to safety. After Facilier's demise through the heroism of Tiana, the latter reunites with Naveen, but the midnight deadline has already come, leaving the two to supposedly remain frogs permanently. Nevertheless, they decide it doesn't matter whether they're frogs or humans, so long as they could be together. Just then, Louis arrives with Ray in his hands. He gives his final farewell before peacefully passing away.
A funeral is held for Ray in the bayou with Tiana, Naveen, Louis, and Ray's family. As they all mourn the death of their friend, a bright light shines down on everyone from above, drawing their attention up at the sky, a bright new star appears right next to Evangeline, identified as Ray. Tiana, Naveen, and Louis are happy, as Ray's firefly family cheers ecstatically for their relative, as he finally receives his longing wish to be with his true love once again. He is seen again as a star one last time with Evangeline, both shining over New Orleans, as Tiana sings and dances with Naveen on the roof of her new restaurant at the end of the film.
==Trivia==
*Ray's death seems to be an apparent reference to Peter Pan; after he dies he joins his love Evangeline in the sky and becomes the second star...to the right.
*Ray's death may also be a reference to The Lion King, in that Timon believes that stars are fireflies.
*Originally, Ray was planned to survive Dr. Facilier stepping on him, but the filmmakers felt that there was no emotion with that, so they opted to kill him off so he could join Evangeline in death.
* was originally selected for the role of Ray before Jim Cummings was selected.
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