Gaston and Idris Elba, side by side

Screengrab via DisneyMovieTrailers/YouTube idriselba/Facebook Remix by Samantha Grasso

Idris Elba reveals he auditioned for Gaston in ‘Beauty and the Beast’

Just think of what we missed out on!

 

Samantha Grasso

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Posted on Sep 30, 2017   Updated on May 22, 2021, 3:44 pm CDT

No one’s slick as Gaston, no one’s quick as Gaston—that is, if you’re not counting Idris Elba, who definitely could have doled hits and matched wits with the Beauty and the Beast villain.

Unfortunately for us, divine intervention lost the world its opportunity to see Elba play darts and break hearts as Gaston himself, even though he threw his name into the ring.

In an interview with People, Elba revealed that he actually auditioned for the part but, alas, wasn’t chosen for the role. Instead, Luke Evans beautifully portrayed the vain and vengeful Gaston.

“I honestly love musicals. I auditioned for Beauty and the Beast. I really did, for Gaston, for the movie,” Elba said. “I called, I said, ‘Listen, I want in!’ They were like, ‘Well… Yeah, OK.’ So somewhere they have a tape of me singing.”

While we might not be able to live in this alternate timeline where Elba flexes his charm (and his arms) in a live-action Disney film, could the “tape” of this audition make its way into the daylight? Perhaps not, according to Elba.

“Here’s the thing: no,” Elba when asked about unveiling the audition.

And why can’t the world see this godly gift to earth—was it that bad?

“Well, I didn’t get the part!” Elba said.

Watch Elba’s interview, and get a brief listen to his pipes, in the video below:

H/T Mashable

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*First Published: Sep 30, 2017, 12:10 pm CDT