Luke Evans Fleshed Out Gaston's Backstory For Beauty And The Beast

Luke Evans' Gaston will be much more of a fully realized character than his cartoon counterpart. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Evans revealed the character's tragic backstory and how it plays into his macho man persona.

According to Evans, his Gaston was previously a war hero and an army captain who became famous at 16 years old when he protected the village from a group of Portuguese marauders. Evans said this initially led to a very dark take on Gaston, which they later lightened to make him a little more comedic. However, the deeper side of him still remained. "He probably does suffer from PTSD, which he manages to keep under wraps because he has people like the villagers and LeFou and the girls who puff him up and make him feel sexy and wanted," Evans said. "But below that is a broken human being. He's jaded, and the second he realizes that he's not going to get what he wants, this military creature comes out of him."

Evans said that Gaston's backstory also includes LeFou (Josh Gad), his loyal (and bumbling) sidekick. LeFou was at war with Gaston, and he helps to keep the glory of Gaston's past actions alive. "They work symbiotically with each other and this is what I love about their relationship: they wouldn't work without each other," he said. "Without LeFou, Gaston is just another buffoon in the village, but with LeFou, he's revered and lifted to a higher level."

Just like in the cartoon, Evans' Gaston has probably been a bit too popular for how awful the character is, something which Evans thinks makes him even scarier. "You sort of quite like the dude, don't you?" he said. "He's somebody to laugh at... but I wanted to enjoy those moments because then the reveal of this insane monster that he becomes is even more terrifying."

"He's an arrogant, narcissistic, bigoted, chauvinistic, self-absorbed man who, once he's told no, is driven by jealousy and revenge to fuel the fear of quite an idiotic group of villagers to go kill something they've never seen before," he added. "I mean, it resonates massively to what's happening in the political climate throughout the world now."

Gaston isn't the only character to get an expanded backstory in Beauty and the Beast; Emma Watson has also teased that it was important to her to figure out more about Belle and her place in the village, something which is reflected in the final product. Both characters will be on full display when Beauty and the Beast is released on March 17. In the meantime, see the creepy stories behind your favorite Disney princess movies.