Disney characters are always lovely. It doesn’t matter if they are on the good side or villains. They make fans fall for them after only a few scenes. How did Disney moviemakers do it? Perhaps we will never know the whole answer, but we understand that the design and animation teams have worked extremely hard to bring those charming characters to the big screen.
Numerous viewers wonder how Disney crew members had plenty of significant ideas for creating adorable characters. It is undeniable they are talented and skillful. One of their methods is observing models in real life. Henceforth, many Disney characters were inspired by actual celebrities. It also makes audiences feel mildly nostalgic and familiar with the characters.
We have listed several famous people giving inspiration and references to the process of bringing magnificent Disney characters to life. Don’t hesitate to dip over this compilation!
#1. Aladdin – Tom Cruise
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The inspiration for this charming character was derived from none other than that Hollywood heartthrob Tom Cruise. The original idea was to go for a lesser heroic facial feature but it was soon dropped because Aladdin has to have something heroic and charming about his appearance to play the love interest of Princess Jasmine.
#2. Bella – Sherri Stoner and Audrey Hepburn
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While the writer Sherri Stoner modeled for Belle from ‘The Beauty and The Beast, a lot of the character’s facial features and the infamous yellow gown were inspired by the famous actress and legendary fashion icon Audrey Hepburn.
#3. The Genie – Robin Williams
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The character was an embodiment of Robin Williams. The directors Ron Clements and John Musker wanted Robin Williams to play the role of Genie so badly that they wrote the entire character around him and the animators created it for him.
#4. Peter Pan – Bobby Driscoll
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This Academy Juvenile Award kid actor starred in a lot of Disney’s live-action films. He was highly loved during the 1950s for his talent, boyish charm, and appearance. And the creators thought that Peter Pan could do with some of his traits.
#5. Pocahontas – Irene Bedard, Naomi Campbell & Christy Turlington
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Pocahontas was created using Irene Bedard, a Native American actress as inspiration. She also voiced the character. And when Disney decided to make the live-action rendition of the animated movie, she played the role of Pocahontas’ mother. Besides, Christy Turlington was studied, while British catwalk queen Naomi Campbell was the basis for Pocahontas’ posture and grace.
#6. Princess Aurora and Cinderella – Helene Stanley
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Helene Stanley, the American actress, served as the live-action model for both Cinderella and Princess Aurora. Her elegance and grace were the qualities that made her fit for the part. Her actions were closely observed and the animation was developed on them.
#7. Scar – Jeremy Irons
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Scar from ‘The Lion King’ was acted out by the Oscar-winning actor Jeremy Irons who also ended up voicing the character. The makers wanted the film to have a certain Shakespearean nuance to it because of its similarity to the play Hamlet. Jeremy Irons was trained in stage shows and Shakespeare, hence he was the best choice.
#8. Tiana – Anika Noni Rose
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Most of the prominent and detailed features of Tiana from the movie ‘The Princess and the Frog’ was inspired by Anika Noni Rose who voiced and sang for the character. Each of Rose’s features was looked at so profoundly that the animation was even given dimples and was made left-handed like her.
#9. Tinker Bell – Margret Kerry
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It was rumored that little pixie Tinker Bell from the movie Peter Pan was inspired by Marilyn Monroe, but the truth is that Margret Kerry served as the inspiration for it. She auditioned for the character and her actions around certain props like oversized keyholes and scissors were used while creating the animation.
#10. Wall E – Charlie Chaplin
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The film’s story crew and animation crew studied Charlie Chaplin on how to convey emotion and transmit a story without dialogue since the robot Wall E doesn’t talk. Also, they watched Keaton’s facial expressions very carefully for almost a year.
#11. Christopher Robin – Christopher Robin Milne
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The character Christopher Robin in Winnie The Pooh was based on a real boy. He was no other than the son of Alan Alexander Milne – the author of the original books.
#12. Captain Hook – Hans Conried
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The American actor, comedian and voice artist, Hans Georg Conried Jr. was supposed to voice the character Captain Hook from the movie ‘Peter Pan’ but the animators found him too vibrant and decided to actually base the appearance of the character on his real personality.
#13. Mortimer Mouse – Walt Disney
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In 1925, Hugh Harman drew some sketches of mice around a photograph of Walt Disney. These inspired Ub Iwerks to create a new mouse character for Disney. Disney originally named his mascot Mortimer Mouse.
#14. Elsa – Amy Winehouse
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At one point, animators were drawing Elsa as a blue-haired ice queen, with early sketches “inspired by Amy Winehouse’s pathos” (she was also written to have “a deep, soulful voice and dramatic mood swings” like the singer). Elsa was eventually softened in subsequent drafts and all hints were erased.
#15. Carl – Spencer Tracy
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Carl Fredricksen is pretty much the spitting image of voice actor Ed Asner, his look was also influenced by plenty of other famous faces. The wide face and droopy mouth were lifted directly from Walter Matthau, while Carl’s style and general demeanor were a take on actor Spencer Tracy. Plus, Carl’s craftiness and resourcefulness can be attributed to a team of Pixar animators obsessed with MacGyver.
#16. Tarzan – Tony Hawk
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Disney wanted to contemporize the character for their 1999 animation so turned to a popular figure in extreme sports for inspiration. The animators studied videos of none other than skateboarding legend Tony Hawk to capture his balance and fluidity.
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