Belle French

"You are a hero who helped your people. You're a beautiful woman who loved an ugly man. Really, really loved me. You find goodness in others. And when it's not there, you create it. You make me want to go back. Back to the best version of me. And that never happened before. So when you look in the mirror and you don't know who you are, that's who you are."

- Mr. Gold to Belle French

Belle French, also known as Mrs. Gold and briefly known as Lacey, is a character on ABC's Once Upon a Time. She débuts in the twelfth episode of the first season. She is portrayed by guest star Emilie de Ravin, and is the Storybrooke counterpart of Belle.

Belle French is based on Ellie from the Disney/Pixar film Up.

Trivia

 * -|Character Notes=

Etymology

 * Belle's last name, French, is a nod to the French origin of the fairytale, Beauty and the Beast.
 * Belle's alias, Lacey, is of English origin and is from a surname derived from Lassy, the name of a town in Normandy, France.

Character Notes

 * Belle can read Elvish.
 * According to Hook, Belle snores.


 * -|Production Notes=

Production Notes

 * For the first two years on Once Upon a Time, Emilie de Ravin dyed her hair for the role. She stopped after finding it annoying.
 * Belle was put under a Sleeping Curse in "Ruby Slippers", so that Emilie de Ravin could go on maternity leave.


 * -|Cultural References=

Disney

 * During her stay at the hospital from "In the Name of the Brother" to "Lacey", Belle is wearing a yellow hospital gown in reference to her ball dress from the Disney film Beauty and the Beast.
 * During their honeymoon, Belle and Mr. Gold dress in similar clothes as their counterparts in the dance scene from Disney's Beauty and the Beast. They also dance to an instrumental version of the title song.
 * Belle receives a rose from Will Scarlet, a reference to Beauty and the Beast.
 * There is a carving of a red rose on Belle's headstone, another reference to Beauty and the Beast.

Lost

 * In the hospital, Belle is watching Exposé, a fictional television show featured on TV series Lost.

Popular Culture

 * Lacey wonders if Mr. Gold likes Van Halen, a reference to the famous rock band.
 * Lacey also asks Mr. Gold if he's a "Hagar man"; a reference to American rock vocalist Sammy Hagar.
 * The book Belle is reading aboard the Jolly Roger is Heidi Murkoff's bestselling pregnancy guide What to Expect When You're Expecting.
 * The novel Cathedral by Nelson DeMille is lying on the table when David visits Belle aboard the Jolly Roger.


 * -|Set Notes=

Props Notes

 * The box that Belle opens in Hook's ship contains gold coins and a bell.

Costume Notes

 * The necklace Mr. Gold procures out of thin air and gives to Lacey is the same necklace from Belle's nightmare in "The Crocodile".
 * When Belle is searching for the Snow Queen, she is wearing a dagger-printed scarf, a reference to the Dark One's Dagger.
 * The yellow coat worn by Belle in "Heroes and Villains" and "Enter the Dragon" is the same coat that "Ariel" wore in "The Jolly Roger".


 * -|Goofs=

Goofs

 * While under the Sleeping Curse, Belle has been being seen taking deep breaths, even though it is said that one cannot show any sign of life under that curse.

Appearances
Note: "Archive" denotes archive footage.