Glen Keane, the supervising animator on the Beast, created his own hybrid beast by combining the mane of a lion, the beard and head structure of a buffalo, the tusks and nose bridge of a wild boar, the heavily muscled brow of a gorilla, the legs and tail of a wolf, and the big and bulky body of a bear. He also has blue eyes, the one physical feature that does not change whether he is a beast or a human.
Alan Maken/Glen Keane collabs
Ariel (Part of Your World), Aladdin (One Jump Ahead, A Whole New World), Pocahontas (Colors of the Wind, Just Around the Riverbend), Rapunzel (When Will My Life Begin, I See the Light), Beast (Something There).
Supervising animator Glen Keane, who was charged with designing and drawing the Beast, spent a lot of time at the zoo figuring out how to best bring the character to life. Ultimately, the Beast became a hodgepodge of physical characteristics from many animals, including the mane of a lion, the horns and head of a buffalo, the eyebrows of a gorilla, the tusks of a wild boar, the upper body of a bear, and the legs and tail of a wolf. Oh, my! There’s also one physical attribute you don’t see: the posterior of a mandrill. According to Keane, ”Beast actually has a rainbow bum, but nobody knows that but Belle.”
To further add to the Beast’s savage ways, Robby Benson’s voice was enhanced by the growls of actual lions and panthers. Yet in order for Belle to fall for the Beast, his human side had to be readily apparent. Because of this, animators made sure to keep the Beast’s eyes deep blue and full of soul.
