Mrs. Potts

"The head of the castle kitchens transformed into a teapot, Mrs. Potts takes a motherly attitude towards Belle."

- Diamond Edition Website

Mrs. Potts is a supporting character from Beauty and the Beast. She is the head of the castle kitchen, and transformed into an enchanted teapot once the Enchantress placed her curse.

Mrs. Potts was originally voiced by Angela Lansbury.

Personality
Mrs. Potts is very motherly in nature, which befits her as she is mother to the teacup Chip and his other brothers and sisters. As the castle's head housekeeper, she has a very strict sense of responsibility. Often, she is kind and consoling, but can be stern when the situation calls for her to be; out of all of the Beast's servants, she is the one who will most likely confront him about his behavior when he is in a temper (depending on how extreme the Beast's mood is).

With Lumière and Cogsworth serving more comedic purposes, Mrs. Potts tends to present herself as a wise figure; understanding and down-to-earth. With both Belle and Beast, she takes the opportunities to take use her motherly sensibilities to ease tension between the two.

Beauty and the Beast
Mrs. Potts first appears after the curse has been put upon her and the castle servants. Mrs. Potts first appears on her tea wagon with Chip to serve tea to the sick and weak Maurice who was stranded in the woods. While she and the other Objects are comforting Maurice over Cogsworth's objections, the master of the castle Beast viciously storms in and takes Maurice to the dungeon. Mrs. Potts is the first of the Objects to greet Belle after she makes her sacrifice. Mrs. Potts comforts Belle and assures her every thing will turn out fine. Mrs. Potts is the first to be bold against the Beast and with Lumière tries to help him look like a gentleman which proves to be difficult.

Eventually Belle easies up to Beast and the grow a strong friendship. This friendship leads to love but is interrupted when Belle finds that her father is lost in the woods trying to return to the castle alone to rescue Belle. The Beast astonishes Belle by releasing her from their bargain and she hurries to her father. Although Mrs. Potts realizes that the Beast has proven he has learned to love (thus fulfilling his part of the requirement needed to break the spell, she fears that unless Belle can show she loves him in return, it will never be broken.

When an angry mob attacks the castle, the Enchanted Objects come to the defence with Mrs. Potts and her children pouring hot tea on one of the villagers. Mrs. Potts witnesses the Beast's death after he was fatally stabbed by Belle's enemy Gaston. Mrs. Potts sheds tears as the spell seems to be permanent until the Beast miraculously revives as a human and Mrs. Potts regains her true form along with the other servants. Afterwards, as she and Chip watch Belle and the Prince dance, she assures her son that the couple will live happily ever after, and laughs with Maurice when Chip asks if he still has to sleep in the cupboard.

Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas
After the events of the film, and the abolishment of the curse, Belle and the prince hold a Christmas party at the castle. In during which, the prince's former disdain towards Christmas was mentioned, but the journey to his change of heart seemed to have been forgotten. This leads Mrs. Potts to narrate the story of the time when Belle finally broke the prince's hatred for Christmas.

During Belle's captivity in the castle, she spent the holiday season getting Beast in a good mood. On one particular day, Mrs. Potts and the others gather to form another plan to strengthen the bond between Belle and the master, and in during which, Belle nearly mentions Christmas, only to have her mind distracted from the holiday by Mrs. Potts and others (as the holiday is the Beast's most hated day, as it marks the anniversary of the day the curse was put upon him and the castle inhabitants). Eventually, both Mrs. Potts and Lumière decide to rebel against the Beast and celebrate Christmas anyway. With the support of the other servants of the household, the holiday is secretly put into effect. By the end of the film, after overcoming various trials and tribulations, most of which threaten the very relationship between Belle and Beast, the latter becomes joyful with Christmas and peace to the holiday is restored.

Beauty and the Beast: Belle's Magical World
In the short "Mrs. Potts' Party", Mrs. Potts is feeling depressed, and Belle, who has come to look at Mrs. Potts as a mother figure, decides to cheer her up by throwing a surprise party for her, all the while without waking the sleeping Beast (who spent the entire previous night fixing a leak in the roof).

However, Lumière and Cogsworth's rivalry gets in the way, in fields such as composing music, Mrs. Potts' favorite flowers (which they have to hide in the Beast's room every time Mrs. Potts sees them), and the cake's flavors. Eventually, Lumière and Cogsworth's attempts to sabotage one another's decisions comes to a point where the baking cake explodes and makes a complete mess in the kitchen. Lumière and Cogsworth, after a scolding from Belle, decide to put their rivalry behind them for good and work together to make a small surprise for Mrs. Potts. The plan goes well, and Mrs. Potts is cured of her depression.

Other animated productions
Mrs. Potts makes a small cameo as a lifeless teapot at Jane Porter's camp in Tarzan. Alongside her is a lifeless teacup resembling Chip.

Like other classic Disney characters, Mrs. Potts made several cameos in the series, House of Mouse, usually non-speaking. In the episode "Ask Von Drake" Mrs. Potts was seen with Chip during Ludwig Von Drake's song. In "House of Turkey", Mickey asks both Mrs. Potts and Chip what they are thankful for. In "Thanks to Minnie", she witnessed Minnie Mouse run off in tears after feeling unappreciated.

A silhouette of Mrs. Potts was seen on top of the Beast's head during the finale of The Lion King 1½.

Originally, Mrs. Potts was to appear in the first installment of the now-discontinued Disney Princess Enchanted Tales franchise. In the chapter "Kingdom of Kindness" Mrs. Potts was to sing a song with Belle called "You'll Never Lose This Love" to calm Chip after he broke some of the Beast's items.

Kingdom Hearts series
Mrs Potts is a minor character in the series, where most of her appearances take place in her homeworld, Beast's Castle. Before Kingdom Hearts, her world was destroyed, and so she can be seen on Belle's station during the Dive to the Heart asleep due to the world's destruction. In Tarzan's world, she makes a cameo appearance like in the original Tarzan film. Mrs. Potts makes her first physical appearance in the Kingdom Hearts franchise in Kingdom Hearts II, usually serving as an informant and guide in Beast's Castle. She is voiced by Angela Lansbury in English, and Japanese voice is done by Kimiko Fukuda.

She remains the most optimistic for the relationship between Belle and Beast throughout the visits. Prior to Sora's arrival at Beast's Castle, Beast was being taunted by Organization XIII member Xaldin and in his rage, Beast locked up his servants (including Mrs. Potts) in the castle dungeon. When Sora, Donald, and Goofy arrived at Beast's Castle, they were sent to rescue the servants at Belle's request. After being rescued by the trio, Mrs. Potts and Chip, along with Cogsworth and Lumière guided Sora, Donald and Goofy through the dungeons.

In the end of the arc, Mrs. Potts watches Belle and the Beast make amends, and made the observation that Belle was unique in that she's "always ready for a little adventure." In the credits for Kingdom Hearts II, it is shown that the Beast had been restored to his human form, implying that Mrs. Potts had also become human again.

Musical
Mrs. Potts again plays the same role as she did in the film, only here she is depicted as a woman turning into a teapot as opposed to being one that can walk and talk. It is left ambiguous in the original staging whether she pairs with Maurice or not as in the Disney on Ice version, as she comes in dancing with him at the beginning of the finale, but in the final tableaux they are standing apart, with her posing with Chip.

Disney Parks
Mrs. Potts often appears as decor in the parks alongside the other notable servants. However she can be seen in several shows. During the Flower and Garden Festival in Epcot, she has her own topiary.

Mrs. Potts also makes a cameo in the Tarzan's Treehouse attraction in Disneyland. In the Disney Dream cruise show Believe, Mrs. Potts assists Lumière in his job to help Dr. Greenway believe in dreams.

Mrs. Potts is also referenced in a mocking manner by the villainous Oogie Boogie in the 2014 show Oogie Boogie's Freaky Funhouse.

Beauty and the Beast Live on Stage
In Disney's Hollywood Studios, Mrs. Potts plays the same role as she did in the film. Like the film, she wishes the best for Beast and Belle's relationship, convinces Cogsworth to accept her view, and battles the villagers during the final battle. In the end, she and the other celebrates Beast and Belle's mutual love.

Fantasmic!
A clip of Mrs. Potts appears in Disney's Hollywood Studios' version of the show during the bubble sequence.

Once Upon a Time
Mrs. Potts serves as the narrator to the show, telling Chip various bedtime stories that take the form of the various Disney sequences.

Trivia

 * Mrs. Potts' husband has never been revealed. It is believed he passed away before the events of the curse or the events of the story.
 * A teapot resembling Mrs. Potts is seen in the ABC television series Once Upon a Time episode "Skin Deep". The episode itself also stars many characters from the film.
 * In the Disney film Hocus Pocus, one of the kids who goes trick or treating is dressed up as Mrs. Potts.
 * Julie Andrews was considered for the voice of Mrs. Potts.

La Sra. Potts