Filipino actor Jon Jon Briones joins cast of 'Beauty and the Beast' special

Filipino actor Jon Jon Briones has been cast in the upcoming “Beauty and the Beast” special on ABC.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, he will portray Maurice, Belle’s father. Maurice is an inventor who is shunned by the villagers for creating his unusual devices. When he gets lost in a forest and takes refuge in the Beast’s castle, he gets imprisoned for trespassing.

Briones is best known for his roles in “Ratched” and “American Horror Story: Apocalypse.”

Belle will be played by Filipino-American Grammy winner H.E.R., who also serves as a producer.

Joining the star-studded cast are Josh Groban as the Beast, Martin Short as Lumiere, David Alan Grier as Cogsworth, Shania Twain as Mrs. Potts, Joshua Henry as Gaston, Leo Abelo Perry as Chip, and Rizwan Manji as LeFou. Rita Moreno will be the narrator.

With Jon M. Chu as executive producer and Hamish Hamilton as director, the special is a reimagining of the classic Disney Princess movie. —Nika Roque/JCB, GMA News