Richard White is an American actor and opera singer, who played the character of Gaylord Ravenal in Show Boat at Paper Mill Playhouse and Robert Mission in The New Moon, at the New York City Opera. He also created the title role of Erik in the world premiere of Arthur Kopit and Maury Yeston's musical Phantom and sings the role on the original cast recording. White is a 1971 graduate of Bethel Park High School.
For Disney, he is most famous for voicing the character of Gaston from the Beauty and the Beast franchise. In a 1991 interview with Newsweek promoting the film, White said that he based Gaston on overconfident jocks he had seen during his teenage years and believed that "had Gaston made it to 30, he would have been twice-divorced with possible hypertension problems."
He was also considered for the role of Governor Ratcliffe in Pocahontas, but the producers realized that viewers would hear his voice and think of Gaston. David Ogden Stiers (who, coincidentally, was one of White's co-stars from Beauty and the Beast) was cast as the voice of Ratcliffe instead. White reprised his role as Gaston in various episodes of House of Mouse, as well as the 2023 short film Once Upon a Studio, released for Walt Disney Animation's centennial.
In 2022, he made a cameo as the Baker in Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration.
Personal life[]
He is divorced from choreographer Sharon Halley, with whom he had a daughter named Amanda.
Disney Roles[]
Gallery[]
