Richard White (born August 4, 1953 in Oak Ridge, Tennessee) (age 60) is an American, actor, opera singer and voice actor. He is most famous for voicing the character of Gaston in Disney's Beauty and the Beast and in the TV series House of Mouse. In a 1991 interview with Newsweek promoting the film, White said 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 also 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. White 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.
He was also considered for the voice of Governor Ratcliffe in the 1995 Disney animated feature Pocahontas, but the producers realized that viewers would hear his voice and think of Gaston. David Ogden Stiers (coincidentally, White's co-star from Beauty and the Beast), provided Ratcliffe's voice.
Personal life
He is divorced from choreographer Sharon Halley with whom he had a daughter, Amanda.