Robby Benson is most convincing when his earnestness has something to push against. As the Beast, he makes uncertainty audible without softening the threat; the voice work gives his familiar sensitivity a harder, more interesting setting.
Fi1m perspective
The Beast can sound unsure of himself and still sound dangerous. In Beauty and the Beast (1991), Robby Benson lets both qualities remain audible, rather than tidying the character into someone immediately agreeable. We hear awkwardness without being asked to forget what he might do. It is a fine performance, and a particularly good use of an actor whose sincerity can sometimes become too eager to please.
That sincerity was central to the young leads of Jeremy (1973), Ode to Billy Joe (1976) and Ice Castles (1978), the coming-of-age films that established Benson as a teen idol. He made vulnerability easy to recognise, and the sentimental material gave his natural likeability plenty to do. There was a limit: in One on One (1977), which he co-wrote, the sweetness could feel ingratiating. As Danny Saunders in The Chosen (1981), his gentle inquisitiveness suggested a less insistent way of holding our attention.
The move to the Beast gave that sensitivity a useful obstacle: a character who could not simply be pleasant. Under directors Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise, the animated figure stays physically imposing even as his feelings become easier to read. His deep voice helps, but the uncertainty within it does the more delicate work. We were surprised by how much we cared about the Beast, because Benson made his discomfort recognisable beneath that intimidating appearance. The animation and the acting agree about how much to soften him, and neither hurries to reassure us.
His work behind the camera includes directing episodes of Friends, Ellen and Sabrina the Teenage Witch. That work should not obscure how precise he can be with a voice alone. Our enthusiasm for Beauty and the Beast comes with reservations about its romantic assumptions. Start with Benson’s Beast and listen for the hesitation; the depth of the voice is only part of the pleasure.
Biography
Robby Benson is an American actor, director and musician. Born Robin David Segal on 21 January 1956 in Dallas, Texas, he made his film debut in an uncredited role in Wait Until Dark (1967) and rose to prominence as a teen actor in the late 1970s with roles in Ode to Billy Joe (1976), One on One (1977) and Ice Castles (1978).
He is best known for providing the voice of the Beast in Disney's Beauty and the Beast (1991) and reprised the role in sequels and related media. Benson has directed television episodes, including six of the sitcom Friends, and has taught film and drama at several universities. He also voiced Prince Alexander in the 1992 video game King's Quest VI: Heir Today, Gone Tomorrow.
