22 Famous People Who Inspired Your Favorite Cartoon Characters

Popeye the sailor, Aladdin, Mulan — they are all inspired.

Childhood is the best part of our lives. And the best part of childhood? Carefreeness and cartoons, of course!

From Aladdin to The Simpsons — we saw them, we lived them, and we fantasized about them. Some of us even wanted to be like them. I’ll let you in on a little secret; When I was a child, I once tried eating spinach to gain powers like Popeye. Ah, the good ol’ silly days. As I said, childhood was the best!

Today, I’m here to take you back to those days. You’d be surprised to know, real people inspired many of your favorite cartoon characters. And we’re here to share them with you.

Take a look!

Aladdin | Tom Cruise

None other than actor Tom Cruise inspired Aladdin! We all grew up watching his movies and TV shows and well, him being inspired by Tom Cruise came as a surprise! Ah, good old childhood days.

Genie | Robin Williams

Our beloved Robin Williams voiced the Genie from Aladdin. When Aladdin rubs the lamp, Genie appears, and well, life is fantastic when you have a magical genie and carpet around you.

Betty Boop | Helen Kane

One of the most popular characters in the world, Betty Boop was inspired by someone. The inspiration was none other than Helen Kane, the American singer.

Ariel | Alyssa Milano

Remember, Ariel from Disney’s The Little Mermaid? She was inspired by Alyssa Milano, a young actress who starred in a sitcom called Who’s the Boss?

So cute, right?

Usrula | Harris Glenn Milstead

The evil sea witch from The Little Mermaid — Ursula was inspired by drag queen Divine (Harris Glenn Milstead). In the franchise, Ursula preys over the sweet and innocent Ariel.

Edna Mode | Edith Head

Edna Mode, the half Japanese and half German fashion designer from The Incredibles was inspired by Edith Head. She was an American costume designer who inspired this character. We all know this one!

Belle | Sherri Stoner

Belle from Beauty and the Beast was inspired by Sherri Stoner, who was an animator at Disney. The character also adopted her mannerisms and well, she is immortal now. The perks of working at Disney.

Pocahontas | Irene Bedard

Pocahontas was inspired by Irene Bedard, a Native American actress. A lot of her movements were also taken into account for the character, and you’d be surprised to know, she also gave voice to the character.

Snow White | Marge Champion

Marge Champion, a well-known actress, inspired Snow White. She was initially hired as a dance model by Walt Disney. Her movements were also copied to enhance the realism of the character of the adorable princess.

Milhouse Van | Paul Pfeiffer

Paul Pfeiffer, the lovable geeky character from The Wonder Years inspired Milhouse in The Simpsons. Josh Saviano played the character in the original show.

The Vultures | The Beatles

Remember the flock of vultures from The Jungle Book? Well, they are said to be inspired by The Beatles. Sure, they are hilarious and also have an accent, but being inspired by the greatest band that ever existed? That’s funny!

Eric Cartman | Archie Bunker

Remember the sitcom All in the Family? Archie Bunker, one of the characters from the show, was the inspiration behind the foul-mouthed yet lovable brat, Eric Cartman from South Park.

Shrek | Maurice Tillet

Maurice Tillet, a Russian-born French professional wrestler, is said to be the inspiration behind Shrek. The resemblance is uncanny!

Popeye | Frank “Rocky” Fiegel

Our beloved Popeye the Sailor, was actually inspired by someone with an inordinate strength who also indulged in a lot of fights. Frank “Rocky” Fiegel, who inspired the character was also toothless and smoked a pipe.

Rainier Wolfcastle | Arnold Schwarzenegger

Remember the Austrian, musclebound guy in The Simpsons? Well, he’s a parody of none other than The Terminator.

America Chavez | Beyonce

Looking at the picture, it must be obvious to you that Queen Bey inspires this look of Miss America. The queer Latina superhero is an inspiration to one and all.

Smurfette | Katy Perry

Katy Perry is the voice behind the cute lil Smurfette from The Smurfs and well, it took her time to prepare for it too. For the role, she said, “it’s like my voice and a bag of rocks, with a pinch of sugar.”

Rocko | Woody Allen

It might come as a surprise, but Woody Allen inspired the character of Rocko from Rocko’s Modern Life. But hey, if you don’t believe me, read the words of the creator himself who pitched him as “a young anthropomorphic Woody Allen, who has just moved away from home into a surrealistic adult world.”

Tintin | Palle Huld

Another interesting one! Huld was 15 years old when he traveled around the world, and it is said that his journey inspired the creator of Tintin.

Tinker Bell | Margaret Kelly

Margaret Kelly, a model and actress, who was as playful as Tinker Bell, stood behind the character.

Archie | Mickey Rooney

Mickey Rooney was the inspiration behind the beloved Archie. One of his roles, Andy Hardy where he played a lovesick teenager, inspired the character.

Bugs Bunny | Clark Gable

One of the classics, Bugs Bunny, is said to be inspired by Clark Gable who was also known as the King of Hollywood. His smirk and quick talking were adopted by the Bunny as well.