Paige O'Hara is an American actress, singer, and painter born Donna Paige Helmintoller on May 10, 1956, in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. She is most notably recognized as the voice of Belle in the 1991 Disney animated film Beauty and the Beast.
O'Hara began her acting journey at a young age, receiving acting lessons at four and singing lessons at twelve. She attended a performing arts high school with aspirations to pursue a professional career as an actor and singer, citing American actress and singer Judy Garland as an inspiration.
O'Hara's early career consisted of theatrical performances, making her Broadway debut in 1983 in the revival of Show Boat, where she played the role of singer and dancer Ellie May Chipley. From 1985 to 1987, she played multiple roles in the musical The Mystery of Edwin Drood. Other notable roles include Ado Annie Carnes in the 1986 revival of Oklahoma!.
In 1989, O'Hara learned about the upcoming production of Beauty and the Beast from a newspaper article and applied for a voice role. She competed against 500 other applicants and was chosen for the lead role of Belle. The design team had modeled Belle's appearance on Judy Garland, and O'Hara's tone was reminiscent of her, making her an ideal fit for the role.
O'Hara's success in Beauty and the Beast led to her gaining worldwide fame for voice acting. She later joined the cast of the animated TV series The Legend of Prince Valiant, voicing Princess Aleta of the Misty Isles. In 1995, she played Fantine in productions of Les Misérables, and in 1996, she played the protagonist Peter Pan in a revival of the musical.
O'Hara reprised her role as Belle in the direct-to-video films Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas (1997) and Belle's Magical World (1998). She also voiced Belle in the video games Disney's Beauty and the Beast: Magical Ballroom (2000),Kingdom Hearts II (2005),and Kingdom Hearts II: Final Mix+ (2007).
In 2007, O'Hara played the soap opera character Angela in the film Enchanted. She received a Disney Legend Award in 2011, honoring her contributions to Disney productions over the past 20 years. However, she stepped down from her role as the official voice of Belle due to changes in her voice over the years. O'Hara continues to work as a painter for Disney Fine Art and makes promotional appearances for Disney.
In 2018, O'Hara reprised her role as Belle in Ralph Breaks the Internet. Although she has mostly retired from acting, she still enjoys fame through voice acting in popular productions.
