‘Beauty and the Beast’ Star Angela Lansbury Admits Mrs. Potts Role Was ‘Very Dear to My Heart’
Angela Lansbury‘s death is bittersweet for fans of the actor’s long career in television, film, and Broadway. However, none of her roles were as beloved as the sweet teapot Lansbury voiced for the animated Disney film Beauty and the Beast. Lansbury was thrilled to be a part of the Disney masterpiece and admitted the character of Mrs. Potts was “very dear to my heart.”
Angela Lansbury was not the first choice to play ‘Beauty and the Beast’s’ beloved Mrs. Potts
Most film fans could never consider anyone else in the role of Mrs. Potts. However, Lansbury was not the first choice to play Beauty and the Beast’s matronly household item. In fact, another legendary Broadway actor was first in line for the role.
Julie Andrews achieved her own Disney fame in the title role of Mary Poppins for the film of the same name. Andrews was the first choice to play Mrs. Potts, but she turned down the role, allowing Lansbury to step in.
Ironically this was not the first time Lansbury and Andrews crossed paths in the Disney universe. The two women were neck and neck for the lead role of Miss Eglantine Price in the 1971 film Bedknobs and Broomsticks. Lansbury won the part after Andrews turned it down. Andrews believed the Price character appeared too similar to her prior role of Mary Poppins.
Angela Lansbury admitted Mrs. Potts was ‘very dear to my heart’
In an appearance to celebrate the animated masterpiece for the American Film Institute, Lansbury spoke of her Beauty and the Beast role and how it personally became more special than she ever dreamed.
The character of Mrs. Potts is the head of the castle kitchens transformed into a teapot. She takes a motherly attitude toward Belle after the young woman becomes the beast’s prisoner.
Lansbury applauded the accomplishments of the film during her speech. She explained not only was Beauty and the Beast the first animated movie nominated for an Oscar but one that succeeded in winning the Oscar for the best score and song, “Beauty and the Beast.”
“That song is very dear to my heart, as you can imagine,” Lansbury told the audience. “The first time I heard the song, it came from the composer Alan Menken and Howard Ashman. Accompanying the music was a charming little note and a query that asked if I would like to sing this song and play the character of the little teapot in this movie, Beauty and the Beast.”
The actor worried if she could do the role of Mrs. Potts ‘justice’
Lansbury feared she wouldn’t be able to do the song “Beauty and the Beast” justice upon first listen.
“I didn’t know much about this movie,” Lansbury continued. “It was all new to me. But I said I would listen to it, and I did. I listened to it very, very carefully. I wasn’t sure if I could do it justice. It wasn’t written in the style I was used to, coming from Broadway.”
The songwriters suggested Lansbury sing the words how she believed a little teapot would sound. “I did just that. I sent them my demo, and that was it; Mrs. Potts was born.”
