Belle

"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, currently known as 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 special guest star Emilie de Ravin. She is the main reality version of Belle.

Belle is based on Beauty from the fairy tale "Beauty and the Beast"; and on the character of the same name from the Disney film Beauty and the Beast. Belle French is based on Ellie Fredricksen 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

 * She is one of the few people in the Enchanted Forest who speak highly of Rumplestiltskin.
 * Belle can read and understand Chinese, Elvish and the fairy language.
 * 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.
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Disney

 * When Rumplestiltskin arrives at Maurice's castle, Belle is holding a blue book, just like she does in the Disney movie Beauty and the Beast.
 * The clothes Belle wears while she is Rumplestiltskin's maid are similar to the ones she wears in the Disney film.
 * While Belle is researching, she wears a dress with embroidered roses, a reference to the magical rose from the movie.
 * 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

 * There is a close-up of Belle's eye as she awakens from her nightmare. This is a recurring theme from 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.
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Props Notes

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

Set Dressing

 * Among the numerous pictures and cut-outs pinned to the wall in Henry's room are:
 * An illustration by the English artist and book illustrator Walter Crane, from the illustrated picture book Beauty and the Beast (1874). There are two different cutouts in Henry's room. The first one appears next to Henry's mirror in "The Thing You Love Most" and pinned to the wall at a 2 o'clock position over Henry's cuckoo clock in "We Are Both", but it is blurred and far away. It is seen more clearly in a Flickr set photo from Season Two. The other version can be seen clearly on Henry's wall in "Page 23" and "Is This Henry Mills?", although Beauty has been cropped off.
 * A cover illustration from the children's picture book Beauty and the Beast (2002) by the American children's book writer and illustrator Mercer Mayer. Note that the picture can barely be seen; it is clearly seen in a Flickr set photograph for Season Two.
 * An illustration of Beauty and the Beast by the Victorian era British artist Eleanor Vere Boyle, where Beast is depicted as a saber-toothed panther. However, this Beast is obscured by another one of Henry's pictures, so only Beauty is seen.

Costume Notes

 * The shoes that Belle wears when she is Rumplestiltskin's maid in "Skin Deep" are the same shoes that Regina wears when she summons Rumplestiltskin in "We Are Both".
 * The belt Belle wears while on the hunt for the Yaoguai is the same accessory Alice wears during the present day events of Once Upon a Time in Wonderland.
 * The cape Belle wears when she is returning to the Royal Castle is the same cape Guinevere wears when she frees Arthur from Granny's Diner in "The Broken Kingdom".
 * 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 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".
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Goofs

 * In "Sisters", 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.