Creating a work of fiction necessarily requires imagination. The creative teams of a project must therefore draw on different sources of inspiration in order to shape characters and heroes as charismatic as they are memorable. Among the sources of inspiration, let us cite reality, of course, but also often other works, novels…
16 FICTITIOUS CHARACTERS INSPIRED BY REAL PEOPLE
Characters are essential elements of a story. It is then necessary to differentiate them from each other and to find their own particularities for each. To do this, creators of fiction no longer hesitate to draw on reality or on works such as novels,to hope to bring their characters and heroes to life.
1. The Joker
The Joker is probably the most famous fictional supervillain in the vast superhero universe, but he is indeed inspired by another movie character. To create The Joker, DC Comics based its work on German actor Conrad Veidt, who played the title character in The Man Who Laughs (1929).
2. Tony Stark
The great fictional hero Iron Man is also inspired by a real person. It was actually Stan Lee himself, the creator of the superhero, who admitted to using the image he had of Howard Hughes to create Tony Stark. Born at the beginning of the 20th century, he is a wealthy businessmanwho then went into film as a producer.
3. Harley Quinn
Today, when we talk about Harley Quinn, everyone thinks of Margot Robbie, the last actress to have played the young woman. However, know that in fact, it was Arleen Sorkinwho inspired the character. The actress was a friend of Paul Dini, creator of Harley Quinn, who imagined the character during an episode of Days of our Lives in which Arleen Sorkin was dressed as a harlequin.
4. Severus Snape (Harry Potter)
The famous author J.K. Rowling has, for her part, decided to delve into her memories to create the story of the character of Severus Snape.Indeed, the Hogwarts professor is directly inspired by the one who himself taught chemistry to the writer. Named John Nettleship, the man who is now deceased admitted to having taken the honor of being the source of inspiration for the character, formerly played by Alan Rickman, very badly.
5. Piper (Orange is the New Black)
The main character of Orange is the New Black also existed in History. The story of Piper Chapman is therefore directly inspired by that of Piper Kerman.She also tells her story in a book where she talks about her 13 months in prison for drug trafficking.
6. Kyle (South Park)
Anyone who has ever seen an episode of the series South Park, knows the terrible character of Kyle, an essential hero in the history of the series. Know that many of the character's traits are inspired by the one who lends him his voice in the original version. Named Matt Stone, the man is also co-founder of the series and shares with Kyle his character, in addition to his religion.
7. Indiana Jones
Indiana Jones is surely the most famous adventurer in fiction. However, the herotakes its story from a real explorer named Hiram Bingham III. A professor at Yale University, the man is particularly known for his discovery of the ruins of Machu Picchu. In Raiders of the Lost Ark, a wink is also addressed to him during a scene where we can see a model representing the ancient city of Machu Picchu.
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The fragile character La Binocle is directly inspired by the singer Mark Mothersbaugh. He is notably the one who is at the origin of the credits and music of the series Les Rugrats.
9. Temperance Brennan (bones)
The series Bones highlights the adventures of a forensic anthropologist. Played by Emily Deschanel, the character of Temperance Brennan is not entirely fictional. Indeed, the life of the young woman is inspired by a real forensic anthropologist named Kathy Reichs, whose novels served as the basis for the series.
10. Lily and Marshall (how i met your mother)
How I Met Your Mother has a cast of characters that are more endearing than the others. However, when we talk about couples, one comes to mind and it is obviously that of Lily and Marshall. Their sassy duo is based on the couple formed by Craig Thomas, one of the creators of the series, and his wife.The latter, named Rebecca would have initially refused to be the source of inspiration for the character of Lily, before finally learning that it was Alyson Hannigan who would play the role.
11. WALDER FREY (game of thrones)
In Game of Thrones, Walder Frey is considered an unreliable protagonist and a regular betrayer. Oddly enough, this is also the case for Ralph Neville, a lord from the 14th century. Volatile in his alliances, the historical character is said to have strongly inspired the role played by David Bradley.
12. Olivia Pope (Scandal)
In Scandal, Olivia Pope is a crisis management consultant. She shares the same job as Judy Smith. Just like Kerry Washington in the series, this communications specialist works alongside politicians and other public figures in order to restore their image. Concerning the fiction, Judy Smith nevertheless wanted to specify that her daily life was much less eventful than that of Mrs. Pope, and that fortunately, she had never had to cover up any murder.
13. Billy kimber (peaky blinders)
The series rie Peaky Blinders refers to a ganghaving actually cut his teeth on the Birmingham side. However, if he is real, this is not the case for the protagonists who are only fictions. Well, all except one, the gangster Billy Kimber did exist. In the series, he notably serves as an antagonist during the first seasons.
14. Zorro
Before being a hero of films and series, Zorro was a character in a novel, created by Johnston McCulley. The author admitted that the idea for this fictional hero came to him while being inspired by the life of Joaquin Murrieta, a miner from Mexico. In the 1800s, the latter took justice into his own hands after raping his wife. The legend of the hero was born.
15. Captain Hook
While the character of Disney's Captain Hook never really existed, his iconic physique with his angular face and thin mustache is inspired by a real person. Disney directors borrowed this physique from an actor of the time, Hans Conried, when designing the film Peter Pan.
16. Milhouse (The Simpsons)
The series The Simpsons is not immune to its share of inspirations from real characters. This is how Milhouse Van Houten, one of Bart's friends, was created in reference to the young actor Paul Pfeiffer who inspired the creators of the series with his geeky look with his big glasses.