Disney Characters Based On Real People
Disney characters are often drawn from Walt Disney's wonderful imagination, but in recent years, they have also come from the real world. Let's explore the best Disney characters based on real people.
The Four Vultures From The Jungle Book Are The Beatles
Four vultures appear in The Jungle Book (1967). These British-accented birds sit atop the trees and sing the classic "That's What Friends Are For" to Mowgli. Turns out the vultures are based on the Beatles. In 1967, when the film adaptation was made, Beatlemania was at its peak, and the producers decided to inject a bit of the Beatles into the movie.
Walt Disney, The Jungle Book (1967) and Iberia Airlines, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Maleficent Is Eleanor Audley
Before Maleficent had a movie, she appeared in Sleeping Beauty (1959). Using the voice, mannerisms, and gestures of actress Eleanor Audley, Maleficent might not have been made as well without Audley, who gave the animators the blueprint needed to create the Disney classic.
Walt Disney, Sleeping Beauty (1959) and Film Favorites, Getty Images
Jessica Rabbit Is Rita Hayworth
While not a classic Disney flick, the 1988 comedy Who Framed Roger Rabbit is still classified as a Disney movie. Jessica Rabbit became an iconic character in that movie, and actress Rita Hayworth inspired her. Of course, redhead Veronica Lake inspired her hair.
Touchstone, Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988) and Robert Coburn, Wikimedia Commons
The Mad Hatter Is Ed Wynn
You'll all remember The Mad Hatter from Alice in Wonderland (1951). The character was inspired by the bowler-hat-wearing, bespectacled actor Ed Wynn. Wynn had a reputation for flamboyance and gesticulation, which made him perfect for the role. Wynn also did the voice-over for the character.
Walt Disney, Alice in Wonderland (1951) and CBS Television, Wikimedia Commons
Edna Moda Is Edith Head
The short-statured but fearsome Linda Hunt from NCIS: Los Angeles (2009) bears an almost perfect physical resemblance to Edna Moda from The Incredibles (2004), down to the actress's hair and glasses. However, her character is based on the life of fashion designer Edith Head, who won a record-setting eight Academy Awards for costume design. She looks very similar to Edna and Linda Hunt.
Scat Cat Is Louis Armstrong
The role of the Scat Cat in The Aristocats (1970) was originally written for Louis Armstrong, a distinguished American trumpeter and vocalist. Unfortunately, Armstrong encountered health problems that prevented him from participating in the project, but Scat Cat lived on through Scatman Crothers, another musician.
Walt Disney, The Aristocats (1970) and Harry Warnecke, Gus Schoenbaechler, CC0, Wikimedia Commons
Dr Facilier Is Michael Jackson
Dr Facilier's slim figure, groovy dance moves, and interesting purple and black attire, complete with a top hat, are no accident. The awful villain from The Princess And The Frog (2009) is based on the King of Pop, Michael Jackson, who died the year the movie was released.
Walt Disney, The Princess And The Frog (2009) and Matthew Rolston, Epic Records, Wikimedia Commons
Ariel Is Alyssa Milano
The Disney producers were looking for a young, beautiful, contemporary woman when casting for Ariel from The Little Mermaid (1989). So, who did they decide upon? Why, Alyssa Milano, of course. At the time of filming in the late 1980s, Milano wasn't aware that they used her likeness, but she did get to present a "Making Of" documentary, where she discovered that teen pictures of her had been used to create Ariel's likeness.
Walt Disney, The Little Mermaid (1989) and s_bukley, Shutterstock
Ursula Is Harris Glenn Milstead
Better known as "Divine," Harris Glenn Milstead was an American actor and drag queen who passed away in 1988. Still, his drag performance of "Divine" took the world by storm and inspired Disney for the evil Ursula in The Little Mermaid (1989).
Walt Disney, The Little Mermaid (1989) and Dreamland, Pink Flamingos (1972)
Alice Is Kathryn Beaumont
British actress Kathryn Beaumont, who was just 13 when she played Alice in Alice in Wonderland in 1951, provided both the physical inspiration for Alice's looks and the voice acting. Beaumont would also star as Wendy Darling in Peter Pan (1953).
Walt Disney, Alice in Wonderland (1951) and The Walt Disney Company, Wikimedia Commons
Cruella De Vil Is Tallulah Bankhead
You could be forgiven for not knowing who Tallulah Bankhead is. She was a prominent American stage actress in the 1930s whose mannerisms and personality inspired Cruella De Vil in One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961). However, Cruella's crackly voice wasn't Bankhead's; it was Betty Lou Gerson's.
Walt Disney, One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961) and Talbot, Wikimedia Commons
Snow White Is Marge Champion
Marge Champion was raised by Ernest Belcher, a very well-to-do father who taught her to bow and have courtesy from an early age. Thanks to her dancing experience and elegance, Champion's audition for Snow White went off without a hitch.
Walt Disney, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) and Bettmann, Getty Images
Christopher Robin Is Christopher Robin Milne
AA Milne may have written Winnie The Pooh. Still, when creating the first animated film of the Disney classic in 1969, Christopher AA Milne's son was the inspiration and actor behind Christopher Robin.
Pocahantas Is Irene Bedard
Native American actress Irene Bedard starred as Pocahontas in the eponymous 1995 Disney film. She also gave the animators her speaking voice and mannerisms and starred in the 1998 sequel, Pocahontas: Journey To A New World.
Who was your favorite Disney character that's based on a real person? What's your favorite Disney movie of all time? Let us know in the comments below.
Walt Disney, Pocahontas (1995) and Eugene Powers, Shutterstock
