Paige O'Hara

About this actor

Donna Paige O'Hara (born May 10, 1956) is an American Broadway singer and actress best known for her voicework as Belle in Disney's Beauty and the Beast. O'Hara was born Donna Paige Helmintoller in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida and attended Nova High School in Davie, Florida. She performed in shows with the Fort Lauderdale Children's Theatre. O'Hara now lives in Las Vegas, Nevada, with husband Michael Piontek. O'Hara made her first appearance on the Broadway stage as Ellie May Chipley in the revival of Showboat in 1983 starring Donald O'Connor. She repeated the role for the Houston Grand Opera's 1989 production and continued with them when the show was moved to the Cairo Opera House in Egypt. Continuing her legacy as Ellie, she also sang the part on the 1989 Grammy nominated recording of the musical with Jerry Hadley, Frederica von Stade and Teresa Stratas, conducted by John McGlinn on the Angel EMI label. Her other American stage credits include the title role in The Mystery of Edwin Drood...