We all know that sometimes characters in movies and TV shows are based on real people. According to poptier.com, here is their list of 19 iconic characters based on real people.
1. Thomas Shelby from Peaky Blinders (2013)
-This character was not just made up out of thin air. Thomas Shelby was inspired by an actual person named Thomas Gilbert, who led the real Peaky Blinders gang back then. The real Thomas was nowhere near as charismatic as the version seen on screen, played by Cillian Murphy. The real Thomas was all about staying under the radar, and changing his name frequently to elude the law
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| Thomas Gilbert |
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| Cillian Murphy as Thomas Shelby |
2. Ursula from The Little Mermaid (1989)
-Ursula was actually inspired by the drag queen Divine. Her heavily applied makeup and personality make Ursula one of the more iconic Disney villains
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| Divine |
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| Ursula |
3. Oliva Pope from Scandal (2012)
-It's not surprising to see strong female lead characters. But Olivia Pope is unique in many ways. She was known for her great outfits and strong power of negotiation. Her character was strongly inspired by Judy Smith, who worked as a press aid for then president George H.W. Bush
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| Judy Smith |
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| Olivia Pope |
4. Zorro from The Mask of Zorro (1998)
-Everywhere, there is a type of Robin Hood-like figure, a person who fights for the people, who helps the good people and metes out justice to the bad. There was an actual Mexican Robin Hood-like person, named Joaquin Murrieta, who was a bandit that sought justice after his family was killed for no reason. And in the movie, Antonio Banderas' character and his brother in the film have the last name Murrieta, as a tribute
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| Joaquin Murrieta |
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| Antonio Banderas as The Mask of Zorro |
5. Lucy from 50 First Dates (2004)
-Lucy was known for having strong amnesia, so her husband would play clips of things for Lucy. She was strongly based on a woman named Michelle Philpots, who suffered the same condition. Her husband couldn't take her out on dates, so instead he settled for notes and wedding clips
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| Michelle Philpots |
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| Drew Barrymore as Lucy |
6. Pocahontas (1995)
-It's not even remotely shocking to find that Pocahontas was an actual person. The film was based on the daughter of a Native American chief whose name was Amonute. She also did save an Englishman, John Smith, from death
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| The real Pocahontas |
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| Disney Pocahontas |
7. Sherlock Holmes (2009)
-Sherlock Holmes, the main character created by legendary mystery author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, created the character after inspiration by his old medical professor, Dr. Joseph Bell. Dr. Bell was a teacher considered unconventional during his days of teaching. He would challenge his students to bring forth details from patients' mannerisms, appearances and more
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| Dr. Joseph Bell |
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| Robert Downey Jr. as Sherlock Holmes |
8. Molly Brown from Titanic (1997)
-Margaret Brown, better known as "Molly Brown", was one of the actual survivors of the Titanic. She was a human rights activist and socialite who was one of the survivors and few people who wanted to rescue as many people as possible. Because of her refusal to be negative, and because nothing could get her down, she became known as the "Unsinkable Molly Brown"
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| The real Margaret "Molly" Brown |
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| Kathy Bates as Molly Brown |
9. Hazel Grace from The Fault in Our Stars (2014)
-The character of Hazel Grace was based on the life of YouTuber Esther Earl. She went on YouTube and talked about life with cancer. She was friends with a man named John Green, and at 16 she died
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| The movie version |
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| Esther Grace Earl, the inspiration behind The Fault in Our Stars |
10. Travis Bickle in Taxi Driver (1976)
-This iconic film of Robert De Niro was inspired by real events. The character Travis Bickle was inspired by Arthur Bremer, a man who assassinated then presidential candidate George Wallace. He also attempted an assassination of former President Richard Nixon, but the Secret Service stopped him
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| Arthur Bremer |
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| Robert De Niro as Travis Bickle |
11. Frank in Catch Me If You Can (2002)
-Leonardo DiCaprio's character, Frank Abagnale Jr., was inspired by the real Frank Abagnale Jr. The real man was a former criminal turned consultant. The real Frank was a con man who posed as a doctor, lawyer and pilot, all before the age of 19. He escaped police custody twice, served five years in prison and now works with the FBI as a consultant
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| The real Frank Abagnale Jr. |
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| Leonardo DiCaprio as Frank Abagnale Jr. |
12. Tony Stark in Iron Man (2008)
-The character Tony Stark was based on Howard Hughes and Elon Musk
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| Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark, aka Iron Man |
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| Howard Hughes |
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| Elon Musk, founder of Tesla |
13. Hannibal in Silence of the Lambs (1991)
-The character Hannibal Lecter was based on Alfredo Balli Trevino, a Mexican surgeon who was also a murderer. He was known for killing his victims and dismembering them
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| Alfredo Balli Trevino |
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| Sir Anthony Hopkins as Dr. Hannibal Lecter |
14. Tony Soprano from The Sopranos (1999)
-Life in the mob is not nearly as exciting as it was depicted on The Sopranos. Mob boss Tony Soprano was inspired by Ruggiero Boiardo, aka Richie "The Boot" Boiardo, a caporegime in the New Jersey faction of the Genovese Family and Vincent "Vinny Ocean" Palermo, the former boss of the New Jersey-based DeCavalcante Family
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| James Gandolfini as Tony Soprano |
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| Ruggiero "Richie the Boot" Boiardo |
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| Vincent "Vinny Ocean" Palermo |
15. Ghost Face from Scream (1996)
-The Ghost Face killer was based on a serial killer known as the Gainesville Ripper. Daniel Harold Rolling murdered five students in Gainesville, Florida in 1990, over the course of four days. He confessed to assaulting several victims as well
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| Daniel Rolling, aka "The Gainesville Ripper" |
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| Ghost Face |
16. Auric Goldfinger from Goldfinger (1964)
-The iconic villain from Goldfinger was inspired by Charles W. Engelhard Jr., who was in the metal and mining businesses. Engelhard Jr. was not a villain, but instead a philanthropist who donated his money to various charities and organizations
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| Auric Goldfinger |
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| Charles Engelhard Jr |
17. Leatherface from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)
-The creepy killer from the Texas Chainsaw Massacre was inspired by serial killer Ed Gein. Gein found joy in killing people, but not with a chainsaw
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| Ed Gein |
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| Leatherface from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre |
18. Rocky (1976)
-The famed boxer, played by Sylvester Stallone, was inspired by actual boxer Chuck Wepner. He was a salesman who sold alcohol and a boxer who found in a bout with Muhammad Ali for the World Championship belt
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| Chuck Wepner |
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| Sylvester Stallone as Rocky |
19. Severus Snape in Harry Potter (2001)
-J.K. Rowling, the famed author of the Harry Potter series, based the character Severus Snape on her secondary school chemistry teacher John Nettleship. This teacher was short tempered and had long hair and was as bright as he was unforgiving
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| John Nettleship, the man who inspired Professor Severus Snape |
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| Alan Rickman as Professor Severus Snape, head of Slytherin House |
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