Neilson Barnard/Getty; Alamy Paige O'Hara, the voice of Belle in 1991'sBeauty and the Beast, revealed the advice she got from lyricist Howard Ashman O'Hara, 69, spoke to PEOPLE exclusively at the World Princess Week Celebration in Anaheim, Calif, on Aug. 26 O'Hara also shared why she appreciates the character of Belle even more now — over three decades after the film's release Paige O'Hara, the actress who voiced Belle in 1991'sBeauty and the Beast, revealed the game-changing advice she received from legendary lyricistHoward Ashmanwhile recording the movie. O'Hara caught up with PEOPLE while attending the World Princess Week Celebration in Anaheim, Calif., on Tuesday, Aug. 26. During the conversation, she recalled a moment when she was struggling to sing a specific portion of the song "Something There" during a recording session. "We were patching [Howard through to] the studio where I had a full symphony orchestra going on, and I couldn't get this one phrase right," O'Hara, 69, says. "I said, 'Howard, what do you want? I've tried everything.' He said, 'Put a littleStreisandin it.' " "So I was like, 'Oh! Got it.' That was it. It's just like it was yesterday," she adds. Ashman was the lyricist behind a number of Disney's biggest successes, includingAladdinandThe Little Mermaid, in addition toBeauty and the Beast. Disney+ O'Hara said that her appreciation for the character of Belle — and what the character stands for — has grown over time. "It's interesting," she says. "There are things that she [Belle] did that I appreciate more now that I'm an older woman. Like, sacrificing her life for her father without hesitation. Things like that. She was ahead of her time, she was an old soul, and I guess there's part of me that's that way, too." The multi-hypenate also said that she considersBeauty and the Beastto be one of her most significant legacies in life. "It's a great film. It's not a good film. It's a timeless film," O'Hara says. It's going to live on and give that message to people long after I'm gone.Beauty and the Beastwill definitely live on." Alamy She went on to recall an evening in New York City when Disney previewed the film for critics. "We were showing the unfinished version, and that was a big risk because they were going to see some of it fully animated and some of it just drawings with the voice behind it. It was very, very risky," she recalls. Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE's free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. She continues, "Not only did they [the critics] applaud after every song, but they stood up and gave it a standing ovation. I was like, 'Wow, these are the toughest critics in the world, and look at this reaction to the unfinished project.' I will never forget that feeling." As to how O'Hara spends her days nowadays? "I love painting for Disney.I love semi-retirement. My husband and I have a great life together. Great family and friends, and I have more time to enjoy these family and friends," she says. "But I do love getting to do these occasional projects with Disney and meeting with fans and hearing people's stories and how the characters influenced their lives in so many different ways. I'll never get tired of hearing the stories," she adds. Read the original article onPeople
