There are always some differences between protagonists and antagonists in Disney animated movies, especially in the process of their creation. Given that Disney’s main characters usually have good personalities, screenwriters are often governed by ethical standards when designing those characters. However, creating villains is another story. As they are already the bad ones, they can do whatever and be whoever they want, and this opens up more space for filmmakers to be truly creative.
It is no doubt that Disney devils have a strong influence and leave a deep impression on the audience. Even Disney animators and voice actors get excited when they’re assigned villains, and many of them have even shared that the process of working with such characters is really fun and comfortable. For instance, did you know that Jeremy Irons smoked in the recording booth while playing Scar? Or Cruella de Vil‘s eccentricity was inspired by a leader of Hollywood’s bad girl club in the ’40s?
If you want to know more, don’t hesitate to scroll down to discover 12 behind-the-scenes stories about Disney villains that we have compiled, and remember to let us know which one impresses you the most!
#1 Shere Khan is the inspiration for Godzilla’s chin.
Source: Walt Disney Animation Studios
Godzilla‘s designer Patrick Tatopoulos once shared in “The Making of Godzilla” that Shere Khan was his favorite character as a kid. Therefore, he decided to use Shere Khan as the model to sketch Godzilla’s chin.
#2 Ursula was supposed to have eight tentacles instead of six.
Source: Walt Disney Animation Studios
Ursula‘s voice actor Pat Carroll once explained that it was too expensive to draw eight tentacles.
#3 Divine was the inspiration for Ursula.
Source: Walt Disney Animation Studios
Did you notice that Ursula’s attitude and appearance, especially her size, makeup, and hairstyle all remind us of the Drag Queen of the Century?
#4 Claude Frollo was derived from a villain from another ’90s film – “Schindler’s List”.
Source: Walt Disney Animation Studios
Some Disney fans believe that Judge Follo was inspired by Amon Goeth from “Schindler’s List. One of their obvious things in common is that they are both attracted to a woman from a race they despise.
#5 Cheech and Chong almost played the hyenas in “The Lion King”, if they didn’t refuse to work together.
Source: Walt Disney Animation Studios
It would be nice if we were able to enjoy their performances!
#6 Barbra Streisand was the first one that Disney asked to portray Yzma.
Source: Walt Disney Animation Studios
Barbra Streisand was the first choice of then-Disney CEO Michael Eisner. However, after the interview, the director of “The Emperor’s New Groove” said that Eartha Kitt was the better choice and decided to give this role to her.
#7 Walt Disney wanted to show Bambi’s mom’s killer burned to death by the fire he accidentally started.
Source: Walt Disney Animation Studios
However, because such brutality would be unsuitable for children’s films, Walt decided to cut this scene along with the one depicting Bambi‘s mother’s execution in the final version.
#8 Gaston was based on various guys from the failed relationships of the writer of “Beauty and the Beast”.
Source: Walt Disney Animation Studios
Linda Woolverton, the first woman to write a Disney animated feature confessed this in an interview with the LA Times.
#9 Scar’s voice actor smoked in the recording booth.
Source: Walt Disney Animation Studios
Jeremy Irons was smoking while voicing Scar, even while singing “Be Prepared”. And maybe that’s the secret for Scar’s iconic raspy voice, don’t you think?
#10 “Humiliate the Boy”, also known as Jafar’s villain song, was cut because of its cruelty.
Source: Walt Disney Animation Studios
The filmmakers eventually thought that such lyrics were not suitable for broadcasting in an animated movie.
#11 Hades was intended to be a more serious villain played by Jack Nicholson.
Source: Walt Disney Animation Studios
This was exactly Disney’s original intention. However, Jack Nicholson turned down Disney’s $1 million offer and demanded $10-15 million and 50% of the profits from Hade’s merchandise. In the end, Disney decided to redraw this character and gave this role to James Woods.
#12 Cruella de Vil’s eccentricity was modeled after an actress from the ’40s and ’50s.
Source: Walt Disney Animation Studios
From the appearance to the personality of Cruella de Vil, all were inspired by Tallulah Bankhead, who was the leader of Hollywood’s bad girl club. Although she was quite pompous and vulgar, Bankhead’s personality was actually very good. She supported LGBTQ+ and was willing to help underprivileged children.
