Hugh Jackman, Luke Evans and Taron Egerton had an epic sing-off to see who was the superior Gaston, and you might just be shocked who won! The three stars competed on The Jonathan Ross Show to see who could nail the lines of the iconic Disney villain the best. Egerton kicked the song off well, but the performance soon became the Jackman and Evans show, as the two stars just couldn’t be beat.
Jackman portrayed Gaston in a stage production of Beauty and the Beast all the way back in 1996, and while he needed to look at some of the lyrics, his delivery was 100% on point. Evans, who played Gaston in the 2017 Disney live-action film, absolutely nailed his lines and clearly loved doing it. Theatre fans would probably give it to Jackman, who gave a more dramatic delivery, while movie fans would like Evans’ more down-to-earth vocal.
Overall, Evans perhaps slightly edged ahead of Jackman, as the Welshman seemed more familiar with the material and was able to make the lines really pop. The sing-off was uploaded to The Jonathan Ross Show YouTube channel on March 21, 2016, which was after Evans had already finished filming Beauty and the Beast. The video proved to be quite popular and has been viewed 5.9 million times.
Fans gushed about the performance, adding comments such as “I love Hugh’s strong baritone voice. When he sings in his baritone range, nobody can touch him. So good!” and “Can we all just take a moment to appreciate Taron Egerton here? Dude can freaking sing. Can’t decide which is better as Gaston, Luke and Hugh are both so talented.” It’s not the only time Jackman has reprised his early role as Gaston, as he performed “Gaston” at his The Man. The Music. The Show. concert tour in 2019.
Jackman’s role as Gaston played a major role in the Aussie actor’s career, as the 1996 stage show of Beauty and the Beast was actually his professional theatre debut. He performed the role in the Australian production of the musical, and the success of the show led to increasingly high-profile theatre roles in the late 1990s.
Jackman’s portrayal of Gaston also infamously led to what he describes as the most embarrassing moment of his career. The actor told US Magazine that he wet himself onstage during the production in front of a packed house.
Jackman had increased his water intake after noticing he was dehydrated onstage, and as a result, nature called as he was in the middle of a song with Belle. He had a choice between not finishing the song or wetting himself, and as he later told the interviewer, “The show must go on.”