- “An adorable and charming teacup (and Mrs. Potts' son), who befriends Belle and eventually helps her and her father escape the villagers' trap.”
- ―Diamond Edition website
Chip Potts is the son of Mrs. Potts and a supporting character in Disney's 1991 animated feature film Beauty and the Beast.
Background[]
As a human, Chip is a seven-year-old boy who works with Mrs. Potts in the castle kitchens. Like the other inhabitants of the castle, he was cursed by the Enchantress. When Mrs. Potts was transformed into a teapot, Chip was likewise transformed into a teacup. At the end of the film, once Belle and the Beast fell in love, Chip is magically restored to his human form. He has five brothers named Marie, Pierre, Catherine, Margaret, and Louis.
Personality[]
Chip is adventurous and constantly curious about the world around him. He is a cheerful and active young boy and (like his mother and the rest of the staff) is shown to have a great fear of the Beast's temper. He is also shown to be very brave and heroic as shown in the first film, where he saves Belle and her father, Maurice, in order for them to rescue the Beast from Gaston and the angry mob. He loves Belle very much and views her as his big sister and best friend. As is typical of curious boys his age, he apparently has an overactive imagination; when he comes rushing in to inform Mrs. Potts that there is a girl (Belle) in the castle, she scolds him for making up such tall tales.
Appearances[]
Beauty and the Beast[]
In the movie, Chip is Mrs. Potts' son, who gets turned into a teacup under the spell of the Enchantress. He is first seen having tea poured into him for Maurice to drink. When Maurice drinks the tea, he tickles Chip with his mustache, making Chip laugh. The Beast then storms in and Chip hides behind Mrs. Potts and watches sadly as the Beast grabs Maurice and takes him to the dungeon.
When Belle comes to the castle looking for Maurice, Chip comes into the kitchen telling Mrs. Potts that there's a girl in the castle. Mrs. Potts initially doesn't believe him and puts him into the tub. Then Fifi the feather duster shows up and says that she saw a girl in the castle, to which Chip pops up from the tub and says, "See? I told ya!"
Later, Mrs. Potts and Chip bring Belle some tea. Mrs. Potts then pours tea into Chip and he shows Belle a trick (blowing bubbles), for which Mrs. Potts reprimands him. Belle then tells them about losing Maurice and dreams, but Mrs. Potts tells her everything will be all right and leaves with Chip.
When Belle brings Beast back to the castle after being attacked by wolves Chip watches as Belle tends to the Beast's wound and they become the best of friends. When Beast gives Belle his library, Chip watches with Mrs. Potts, Cogsworth, Lumiere, and Fifi. Chip asks Mrs. Potts what the Beast and Belle are talking about, but she sends him into the kitchen as there are chores to be done.
When Belle leaves the castle to find Maurice, Cogsworth tells Lumiere, Chip, and Mrs. Potts and Chip secretly gets into Belle's bag and goes home with her. After Belle gets Maurice into bed at their cottage, Chip reveals himself from the bag, hops into Maurice's hand, and asks Belle why she left, but before Belle can answer Chip, Gaston shows up and prepares to have Maurice taken to the asylum, believing that he is crazy for saying that he saw a Beast. When Belle proves to Gaston that there is a Beast using the Enchanted Mirror, he and the villagers lock her and Maurice in their cellar and set off to attack the Beast. Luckily, Chip uses Maurice's invention to help them escape from the cellar and they get on Philippe the horse and ride back to the castle.
When the spell is broken, Chip is turned back into his human form. In the closing ballroom scene, he is seen in Mrs. Potts' arms, alongside Maurice, watching Belle dance with Prince Adam. He asks Mrs. Potts if they are "gonna live happily ever after", to which she replies, "Of course my dear. Of course.". Then he asks if he still has to sleep in the cupboard, much to Maurice's amusement and Mrs. Potts laughs along, too. He is also seen in the ending stained glass window.
The Enchanted Christmas[]
Chip in Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas.
Chip reappears in the direct-to-video sequel of the film. In it, he is seen trying to open presents for Christmas. Also when the Prince gives him a present, he's excited about it being a storybook. He helps Belle make a storybook to make the Beast feel better and really wants a Christmas tree because there's no Christmas without a tree. Also, in the flashback depicting the Enchantress placing the spell on the castle ten years earlier, he is present as a child, implying that the spell stopped him and the other servants from aging during the ten year period.
Belle's Magical World[]
Chip reappears in the film series' final installment but plays a small role in contrast to his first two appearances.
Other appearances[]
In 1992, Chip made an animated/live-action appearance alongside Belle and Beast at the 64th Academy Awards ceremony, where he announced the Oscar award to Daniel Greaves for Short Film (Animated) for Manipulation.[1]
In Tarzan, an ordinary teacup resembling Chip can be seen at Porter's campsite alongside a teapot that resembles Mrs. Potts.
Chip makes several cameo appearances in the series House of Mouse. Chip is usually found with Mrs. Potts. In "The Three Caballeros", Mickey Mouse went on the streets to ask if anyone knew the third member (Donald Duck) and when it came to Chip he repeatedly shouted "I know! I know!" However, it is not shown what Chip's answer was.
In The Lion King 1½, a silhouette of Chip was seen on top of the Beast's head during the finale.
On the Disney Jr. channel, Chip currently appears in a series of shorts featured during commercial breaks, featuring the young teacup engaging himself in various activities throughout the castle alongside his mother.
Chip also appears in the Beauty and the Beast entry of the As Told by Emoji short series.
Chip is mentioned in The Wonderful World of Mickey Mouse episode Keep on Rollin' as Mickey's buddy.
An Abomination tea cup resembling Chip can be seen in The Owl House episode "Escaping Expulsion".
In Once Upon a Studio, Chip appears in The Snuggly Duckling barista inside the studio with his mother, Cogsworth, Merlin, his sugar bowl, the Mad Hatter, the March Hare, and Lucille Krunklehorn, getting himself poured with tea as Moana rushes in and asks Merlin to help Flounder find water. Chip and his mother join in the picture along with the rest of Disney characters being held by Maurice.
Live-action appearances[]
Once Upon a Time[]
The chipped cup.
Although not really a character, in the ABC series Once Upon a Time, Chip is referenced as a chipped teacup. This cup is Rumplestiltskin's most prized possession, as a memento of his true love Belle. In the Enchanted Forest, the cup was chipped when Belle dropped it after she got unnerved from Rumplestiltskin's quip about skinning children, Belle keeping it despite the damage on the grounds that something shouldn't be thrown away just because it was broken, with the idea behind this statement inspiring much of Gold's later attempts to overcome his own darker nature to be with Belle. After Queen Regina claimed that Belle had committed suicide, he took the chipped cup and placed it on a pedestal.
In Storybrooke, Mr. Gold still treasures the cup. When Regina wanted to find out whether or not he remembered his past identity as Rumplestiltskin, she convinced Moe French to rob Gold's tea sets so she could get it. When Mr. Gold was arrested for torturing Moe, Regina arrived and bargained the cup for the information she wanted, and it was revealed that he too remembered his past life in the Enchanted Forest.
After the curse is broken, Belle walked into Mr. Gold's office and finds that he kept the chipped cup. She is very happy that Rumplestiltskin kept something to remember her by and she decides to stay with him.
After Belle loses her memories accidentally, Mr. Gold visits her in the hospital with the chipped cup. He gives it to her in hopes that she will recall her old memories. However, the subject of magic scares Belle, and she asks him to take the cup back but he insists she tries, but she refuses. In the midst of Belle trying to push the cup back, Belle takes the chipped cup and hurls it against the wall, where it shatters into pieces. Belle asks him to leave one, which he finally does in his despair of the destroyed cup.
Mr. Gold later manages to collect the shards of the cup and keeps them in the safe of his shop. When the Trigger to destroy Storybrooke is activated, he uses a potion given by Leroy that helps people regain their true memories, which must be drunk from an object that's important to them, and restores the cup from the shards. He then pours the potion in it for Belle and himself and has her drink it in a toast. Belle regains her memories and is reunited with Mr. Gold.
Henry is kidnapped to Neverland by Greg and Tamara, leading Mr. Gold to join in on the journey there to rescue him in honor of Neal. While he believes the only way to save Henry from the villainous Peter Pan is to sacrifice his own life, Regina suggests that there must be a way to contain their nemesis. Mr. Gold has just the item for the job, except the weapon itself, is sitting in his pawnshop in Storybrooke, so Regina barters with a mermaid, Ariel, to retrieve it. Ariel is sent off to Storybrooke with a request from Mr. Gold to give Belle a magically enchanted sand dollar. Once the item reaches Belle's hands, she activates it to project an image of Mr. Gold along with a specific message from him. He informs her that she can indeed find the necessary item to defeat Pan "with the strength of their love". The riddle puzzles Belle until she thinks of the one item that is symbolic of the wear and tears their love has been through, which is the chipped cup. Unsure what to do with the cup, she places it back in the cupboard on a saucer; triggering a spell to open a hidden compartment on the floor. Inside, Belle finds Pandora's Box.
While Merida takes a break, the chipped cup is sitting in front of Gold, who's tied up. He reaches for the cup and kisses it before whispering "I'm sorry Belle" and smashes the cup so that he can use one of the pieces to break his ropes. It's last seen in shards when Merida and Emma find that he escaped.
In the Edge of Realms, after Mr. Gold and Belle build themselves a new home there, they decorate the inside of the house, with the chipped cup being one of the items placed on display. Following Belle's death, Mr. Gold has the chipped cup placed on her coffin.
Somehow, the chipped cup ends up in Hyperion Heights while the curse is in effect. When Tilly starts to regain memories of her old life, she leads Weaver to an alley shed and shows him the cup in an attempt to jolt him into remembering his true love. Weaver is confused and instead points out that it's just a chipped cup. Growing frantic that he is not waking up as he should be, Tilly makes a grab for Weaver's gun and points it at him. Weaver questions why she is doing this, to which she angrily reveals he told her to. Tilly then shoots him, and upon seeing Weaver collapse in a pool of his own blood, she is so shocked by her own actions that she drops the cup, shattering it into pieces. Weaver later attempts to fix the chipped cup.
Beauty and the Beast (2017)[]
Chip in the 2017 live-action remake of Beauty and the Beast
Chip appears in the 2017 live-action remake, portrayed by Nathan Mack. He has a British accent like Mrs. Potts in this adaptation. His role at the castle is fairly similar to the original film, with his movement of hopping around replaced, with moving around by rolling on his saucer. His role on the climax was changed by not following Belle back to the village when she leaves to save Maurice and instead participated himself into a battle with his fellow castle staff against the invading villagers led by Gaston. This incarnation of Chip also has no siblings in the remake.
Chip is one of the residents of the castle who lived with Prince Adam who was selfish and unkind. Later as he is transformed into a hideous beast as punishment, Chip and all the other residents of the castle are transformed into objects as the spell is cast all around the castle.
As Maurice and Philippe arrive at the castle, Chip appears in the form of a teacup approaching Maurice as he arrives in the dining room while Maurice continues exploring the castle. Chip then alerts Mrs. Potts about Belle's arrival at the castle in excitement just as she tells him to slow down.
During a request to invite Belle to dinner, Mrs. Potts tells her to be gentle alongside the other objects to which she denies the Beast's request. Chip and Mrs. Potts take Belle to the dining room and later participate during the musical number "Be Our Guest", satisfying Belle. Chip and the other objects sing during "Days in the Sun" and later during "Something There" centering on the relationship between Belle and the Beast.
Back at the castle, Chip and the other castle staff prepare a formal suit for the Beast just as the Beast and Belle start a romantic relationship. Chip later stands next to Mrs. Potts who sings the musical number "Beauty and the Beat" just Belle and the Beast dance together in the ballroom. Later as Gaston sends an angry mob to kill the Beast, Chip and the other residents notice this as the castle residents form a barricade to block the entrance.
Chip and the other residents notice this as they form a barricade to block the entrance. Chip joins the battle and fights against Gaston and the villagers. After the battle stops, the last petal falls and Chip is transformed into his inanimate form as the castle residents become inanimate objects.
When Agathe uses her magic to restore the Enchanted Rose, Chip is transformed back into his human form along with the other castle servants. Chip and the other castle staff dance together during the reprise of the musical number "Beauty and the Beast" just as he and Mrs. Potts happily reunite with his father, Jean.
Printed media[]
As Old as Time (A Twisted Tale)[]
The novel As Old as Time (A Twisted Tale) depicts an alternate chain of events from the moment that Belle makes contact with the rose. This includes the revelation that, when he was a child, the Beast's favorite servant was Alaric Potts, the stable-master and Mrs. Potts' husband, although he died so long ago that Chip cannot remember him. His full name is Charlemagne Alistair "Charles" Potts. Alaric was old friends with Maurice and Frederic before Alaric was killed by Frederic when he was discovered smuggling magic-users out of the kingdom in response to the current persecution by the Beast's parents. After Belle and the Beast discover Alaric's body in the stables, they also discover his journal, where he writes about the birth of his son 'Charles' and wonders if he will become involved with Maurice's daughter given Alaric's own preference for older women, reinforcing how time has been frozen for those transformed by the curse. Although Chip attends the funeral for his father, who is buried in the graveyard for royalty, he is presented as being somewhat awkward in the funeral, aware that he should feel sad about the death but removed from his natural grief as he never really knew his father. At the story's conclusion, the Beast sacrifices a chance to return to his human form so that his servants can be restored after the curse turns them completely into the objects they resemble, allowing Chip to become human again with his mother.
Video games[]
Kingdom Hearts II[]
Chip appears in Kingdom Hearts II but is only seen with his mother. Chip is the only character in Beast's Castle that doesn't have a voice actor.
Beast locked his servants in the dungeons after Xaldin came and tried to turn him into a Heartless. When Sora and the others came, they freed the servants and helped them save Beast from turning into a Heartless. Lumiere and the others showed them a short cut to the Beast's room. Upon Sora's return, the Beast and Belle were having a party when Xaldin reappeared and took the Beast's enchanted rose. All that Chip could do was to observe the victory. After the events of Kingdom Hearts II, Chip presumably returned to his human form after the spell was broken.
In the original Kingdom Hearts, Chip makes a cameo in the Deep Jungle (a world based on the film Tarzan). Like the film, the world has a teacup and teapot resembling Chip and Mrs. Potts.
Musical[]
Chip appears in a much smaller role in the musical, omitting the scene where he rescues Belle and Maurice from the cellar, for example, due to the technical and practical limitations. He is seen as a disembodied head shaped like a teacup that's on a cart covered by a tablecloth pushed around by Mrs. Potts. In one scene he is a puppet on a tray that is carried by her. He kicks off the number "Human Again", mentioning the hope he feels when Belle and the Beast begin to form a friendship that the rest of the castle staff agree they feel too. His siblings are not seen, nor are they mentioned, thus it can be assumed in this variation he is an only child. The character was originated on Broadway by Brian Press, with a notable replacement being Nick Jonas.
Disney Parks[]
Disneyland Resort[]
Chip can be spotted in Tarzan's Treehouse in Disneyland.
Walt Disney World[]
Chip in Beauty and the Beast: Live.
Magic Kingdom, Chip's likeness can be seen on the sign of Mrs. Potts' Cupboard Ice Cream. Also in the Magic Kingdom, Chip appears in Once Upon a Time, where Mrs. Potts tells him bedtime stories of classic Disney tales.
In the Disney's Hollywood Studios show Beauty and the Beast Live on Stage, Chip makes an appearance in the live show, living a similar role to his film appearance.
Tokyo Disney Resort[]
Chip also plays a starring role in the Tokyo Disneyland show, Once Upon a Time, alongside Mrs. Potts. Concept art suggests that Chip is set to appear in Enchanted Tale of Beauty and the Beast in Fantasyland.[2]
A cup modelled after Chip appears in Ariel's collection in Mermaid Lagoon.
Shanghai Disneyland[]
In Shanghai, Chip can be seen alongside his mother during Belle and Beast's scene in Voyage to the Crystal Grotto. He is also featured as part of Belle's wall carving display inside of Enchanted Storybook Castle.
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- In his teacup form, he has a chip on his head. As a human, this manifests as a chipped tooth.
- According to part 2 of "Lyrical Love", Chip is Mrs. Potts's twelfth child.
- Although Chip and his siblings are implied to be of British descent (due to their mother's accent and "Potts" being a British name), he speaks with an American accent in the animated film.
- Both of Chip's voice actors from the animated films have had a role in Kingdom Hearts II: Bradley Michael Pierce (his original voice actor) provided additional voices, while Haley Joel Osment (who voiced him in the sequel) is the voice of Sora.
- Because Chip was alive when the Enchantress cursed the Beast's Castle, it is likely that he did not age during that time period.
- Mickey Mouse mentions Chip as his "old buddy" in The Wonderful World of Mickey Mouse episode "Keep on Rollin'".
Variants[]
- Chip Potts (Beauty and the Beast 2017)
References[]
- ↑ "Short Film Winners: 1992 Oscars". YouTube (September 6, 2016).
- ↑ Fickley-Baker, Jennifer (April 28 2016). "Tokyo Disney Resort Plans ‘Beauty & The Beast,’ ‘Big Hero 6’ Attractions" (Tweet). Disney Parks Blog. Retrieved on May 17, 2016.
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