Jerry Orbach voiced Lumière in Disney’s 1991 animated Beauty and the Beast.
Lumière is the enchanted candelabra who welcomes Belle to the castle and encourages the household to treat her as a guest. Orbach’s performance gives the character a theatrical, warm, and flirtatious personality, especially in the musical number “Be Our Guest.”
The film’s other prominent enchanted servants include Cogsworth, a clock voiced by David Ogden Stiers; Mrs. Potts, a teapot voiced by Angela Lansbury; and Chip, her son, voiced by Bradley Pierce. Their transformations explain why the castle appears almost deserted to Belle while still being full of speaking characters.
Jerry Orbach was also famous for stage and television work, including originating the role of Billy Flynn in the Broadway musical Chicago. The character’s name comes from the French word lumière, meaning “light,” fitting his candelabra form.