Harley Quinn
When Paul Dini thought of giving the Joker a female sidekick, he based her manic personality on his college friend, Arleen Sorkin. He took inspiration from her when writing the character, but he didn’t stop there.
The DC writer asked the “Days of Our Lives” actress to voice Harley Quinn’s part, giving her one of the most iconic roles of her career. Sorkin voiced Harley in feature films and video games, and after retiring, she was succeeded by Tara Strong.
Mr. Magoo
One look at Mr. Magoo, and you'll recognize those squinty eyes, round nose, and top hat. The cartoon geezer himself is half-blind, but even he'd probably be able to see that much of his appearance comes from comedy legend W.C. Fields.
Though they may look alike, the two could not be more different. Magoo is upbeat and kind, while Fields' comedy schtick involved more a misanthropic character.
Jessica Rabbit
If it were ever possible for a cartoon character to be the object of everyone's eye, it was Jessica Rabbit. Creator Richard Williams explained, "I tried to make her look like Rita Hayworth; we took her hair from Veronica Lake."
Director Robert Zemeckis kept saying, "What about the look Lauren Bacall had?" Williams designed Jessica of Hayworth, Lake, and Bacall and described the combination as the "ultimate male fantasy."
Bugs Bunny
When creating Bugs Bunny, Warner Bros. animators needed a way to insert Bugs' character with more personality and charm. That's when Clark Gable appeared in "It Happened One Night."
The film sparked just what they needed; they gave Bugs some of Gable's attributes, including casually munching on a carrot! That's all, folks!
Aladdin
Interestingly enough, Disney animators initially based Aladdin's character design on actor Michael J. Fox. After he came off "too childish," they decided to go with a different approach.
For the perfect iconic hero type, the animators used Tom Cruise as the model for Prince Ali. We can't say that we see it, but we're willing to believe there is something there.