Luke Evans: ‘Beauty and the Beast role inspired me to release album’

Luke Evans was inspired to record his first album after debuting his vocal talents in Beauty and the Beast.

The Welsh actor starred as the villainous Gaston in Disney's live-action movie back in 2017, and audiences heard his singing voice for the first time as he crooned his character's eponymous classic song.

And he told WWD that after his popularity exploded following the release of the flick, he decided to showcase his musical side with his debut album, At Last, which was released last year.

“Over the years, my fan base has built up. My international profile has risen," Luke explained. "And because there’s been a couple of times I’ve sung on my social media, or when I did Beauty and the Beast, of course, people got to hear my voice.

"And that started the seeds germinating: when on such a huge international platform, so many people heard it.”
He's now set up a recording studio at his London home, and while his planned tour was scrapped due to the Covid-19 outbreak, he's determined to carve out a musical career and follow his passion.

“When I sing I feel... well, myself. I’m singing like myself. I’m being myself,” he mused. “Acting is something I’ve loved for a very long time. But it’s different with acting, because you’re playing a role, you’re playing a different person, so you’re often not being yourself… But singing for me is a very pure, honest manifestation of what I love to do.”