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It is a well-known fact that reality is sometimes more incredible than anything we can imagine. For this reason, many of the most imaginative works of fiction draw inspiration from real events and people. From infamous movie villains to celebrated literary heroes, beloved animated series to lucrative multimillion-dollar film franchises, numerous characters have drawn inspiration from unexpected sources.

Click through the gallery and discover the fascinating real-life counterparts to our most popular fantasy characters.

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Did you know that these movie characters were inspired by real people?

It is a well-known fact that reality is sometimes more incredible than anything we can imagine. For this reason, many of the most imaginative works of fiction draw inspiration from real events and people. From infamous movie villains to celebrated literary heroes, beloved animated series to lucrative multimillion-dollar film franchises, numerous characters have drawn inspiration from unexpected sources.

Click through the gallery and discover the fascinating real-life counterparts to our most popular fantasy characters.

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© Getty Images

Olivia Pope aus “Scandal”

The character Olivia Pope from the television series “Scandal” is inspired by Judy Smith, a crisis manager in Washington, DC. Judy Smith was previously deputy press secretary to George W. Bush and has experience dealing with major presidential scandals, including representing Monica Lewinsky during the Clinton-Lewinsky affair.

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Betty Boop

Betty Boop, the well-known 1930s cartoon character, was inspired by Helen Kane, a talented singer and actress who was known for her charming “baby” personality. It was Kane who popularized Betty Boop’s memorable line, “Boop-oop-a-doop.” Interestingly, Kane filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against the creators, but her case was thrown into disarray when it was discovered that she had actually appropriated her performance from Baby Esther, a talented African-American singer from Harlem.

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Norman Bates from “Psycho”

The antagonist in the famous horror film “Psycho” was directly inspired by Ed Gein, a murderer and grave robber with a troubled relationship with his mother.

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Miss Piggy

The Muppets’ most prominent diva was originally called “Miss Piggy Lee” as a tribute to Peggy Lee, but this was then slightly changed. However, singer Peggy Lee expressed her dissatisfaction with the situation, which led the creators to remove the “Lee.”

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Lucious Lyon aus “Empire”

In 2015, the show’s creator revealed that Terrence Howard’s character drew loose inspiration from music mogul Jay-Z.

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Zorro

Author Johnston McCulley is believed to have been inspired by Joaquín Murrieta, a Mexican miner who immigrated to California in the 19th century. Murrieta’s wife was the victim of an attack, but the authorities did not help him seek justice, so he took matters into his own hands.

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Alice from “Alice in Wonderland”

Lewis Carroll was a close friend of Alice Liddel during her childhood. It is often mentioned that the enchanting story was originally a special fairy tale for her. Carroll cleverly made references to Liddel in his novels, setting specific events on her birthday and including a poem in Alice Through the Looking Glass that spelled her full name.

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Captain Hook aus “Peter Pan”

The animated character Captain Hook in Disney’s film is based on Hans Conried, an American actor who initially only did the voice work. However, his dynamic portrayal influenced the animators to include his appearance as well.

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Dill from “Who Troubles the Nightingale”

The awkward boy next door in the famous literary masterpiece was actually inspired by crime writer Truman Capote, who happened to be Harper Lee’s neighbor.

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Indiana Jones

Hiram Bingham III, an explorer and Yale professor, served as the inspiration for the character Indiana Jones. Known for discovering the ruins of Machu Picchu, the film “Raiders of the Lost Ark” pays tribute to him by setting its opening scene near the famous site.

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Milhouse from “The Simpsons”

Milhouse Van Houten is based on Paul Pfeiffer from “The Wonder Years”, both are distinguished by their appearance and their role as the protagonist’s loyal companion in good and bad times.

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Ursula from “The Little Mermaid”

Disney animators originally chose Joan Collins as the inspiration for the villain, but ultimately settled on iconic drag performer Divine. What an excellent decision!

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Ariel from “The Little Mermaid”

The animated mermaid princess in Disney’s film was modeled after a younger version of Alyssa Milano’s face, which surprised the actress when she found out about it after the film’s release.

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Piper aus “Orange Is the New Black”

The character of Piper Chapman is based on the real-life experiences of Piper Kerman, who served a 13-month prison sentence for being involved in a drug trafficking organization with her former friend Cleary Wolters (the inspiration for Alex Vause).

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Don Draper from “Mad Men”

“Mad Men” producer Matthew Weiner confirmed that the character portrayed by Jon Hamm was inspired by Draper Daniels, a hard-drinking, smoking advertising executive at a well-known company in the 1950s.

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Popeye

Elzie Segar created the famous sailor cartoon character after Frank Fiegel, a fellow citizen known for his corncob pipe, eye patch, and tendency to fight.

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Sherlock Holmes

According to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the famous detective was inspired by Dr. Joseph Bell, a professor at the University of Edinburgh Medical School. Bell was known for his expertise in analyzing medical histories and also occasionally assisted law enforcement as a forensic scientist.

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Severus Snape aus “Harry Potter”

The famous character, played by Alan Rickman, was inspired by a similarly solemn and ghostly-looking person, JK Rowling’s chemistry professor John Nettleship, known for his long black hair.

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Snow White

The legend is believed to come from the life of Margarete von Waldeck, a 16th-century noblewoman who lived in Bavaria. Their house was near a mine where disfigured child laborers were cruelly referred to as “dwarves.” She was reportedly poisoned by a prince’s family when they refused to accept her as his partner.

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Mary Poppins

PL Travers reportedly based the character of Mary Poppins on her own relative, who was known as “Aunt Sass”, somewhat different from the affectionate Disney portrayal.

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Moe Syzlack from “The Simpsons”

The cartoon bartender is said to be inspired by Louis “Red” Deutsch, a real-life bartender in Jersey City who became the target of a number of prank callers in the 1970s. This influenced Bart’s recurring prank calls to the bar.

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Christopher Robin and Winnie the Pooh

AA Milne’s popular children’s stories in the magical Hundred Acre Wood were written by his son Christopher Robin. The story goes that Christopher Robin adored a bear named Winnipeg at London Zoo, which inspired him to create Winnie and the adorable cast of characters.

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Hazel from “Fate is a lousy traitor”

The character, played by Shailene Woodley in the emotional film, is based on the late Esther Earl, a YouTuber who spoke openly about her experiences with cancer and maintained a close friendship with author John Green.

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Mary aus “Mary Had a Little Lamb”

Mary Sawyer, also known as the girl who owned the lamb, gained fame when she brought the cute animal into her classroom in a basket. This incident inspired a classmate to write a nursery rhyme, which was adapted by a poet many years later.

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Auric Goldfinger

The main antagonist of the James Bond series, Goldfinger, is said to have been influenced by Charles W. Engelhard Jr., a famous American gold mining magnate and close friend of Fleming, who shared his love of gold.

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Charlie Chan

Charlie Chan, a character often associated with white actors in yellowface, was actually inspired by a real-life Chinese-Hawaiian police officer named Chang Apana. Author Earl Derr Biggers discovered Apana’s exploits in Honolulu newspapers and used them as the basis for his fictional character. It is important to note that the portrayal of Charlie Chan in the films does not accurately represent the character’s origins.

Quellen: (Brightside) (All That’s Interesting) (Reader’s Digest) (Buzzfeed)

Also interesting: These films are actually based on Shakespeare’s works

2024-02-19 20:24:44
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