Vultures from The Jungle Book
We bet you never thought The Beatles would be featured in a Disney movie, did you? Well, they were, kind of. The Vultures from “The Jungle Book” was originally going to be voiced by The Beatles.
Brian Epstein, the band’s manager, approached the Disney studios about having the band appear in the film. Hence, the film’s animators created the Vultures specifically to be voiced by the band. At the end of the day, the plans did not appear to have come to fruition, either based on clashing schedules or Lennon’s refusal to participate in the film.
Betty Boop
She's been around for almost a century, so it's hard to remember just how complex Betty Boop's origins are. Interestingly enough, the character was created as a French poodle. Betty Boop made her first appearance on "Dizzy Dashes" in 1930.
Though Clara Bow is often given credit as the inspiration for Boop's character, some believe that she began as a caricature of singer Helen Kane. To add another twist to the story, Kane herself basically copied performer Baby Ester.
Pocahontas
Irene Bedard landed the role of her career when she got cast to voice and provided the facial basis for the title character in Disney's "Pocahontas." The stunning actress was chosen in 1995 as one of "People" magazine's "50 Most Beautiful People," and we can see why. She is absolutely magnificent.
Bedad has played many Native American characters in various films throughout her, so it doesn't come as much of a surprise that she was the model for Pocahontas's character.
Leopold "Butters" Stotch
"South Park" show creators Matt Stone and Rey Parker based Leopold "Butters" Stoctch on co-producer Eric Stough, who they saw as an innocent good-two-shoes.
Butters is depicted as a more optimistic and naive kid than the show's other characters. Though he started out as a background character, he has developed into one of "South Park's" most notable personalities.
Ariel
Ariel has a much more interesting story than one may initially. The little mermaid's character was based on various women. Alyssa Milano, who at the time starred on "Who's The Boss?" served as the main visual model for one of Disney's favorite princesses.
Animators also drew inspiration from astronaut, Sally Ride, basing Ariel's underwater hair movements on those of Ride's in space. It's pretty cool to think that Ariel's hair movements under the sea are actually movements seen in space!