- Well hi!
So when we watch a movie or a TV show,
or even read a book, we are often most intrigued
by the characters in the story.
Generally speaking, the weirder or more bizarre
a character is, the better the story becomes,
which is why we love fiction, because
those characters are far more interesting
than anyone else that could exist
in real life, right?
Well what you might not know is that
the characters in some of the most famous
stories aren't fiction at all.
In fact, they were based on real people.
So this week, I gathered the most interesting
ones to share with you all.
So here they are.
10 fictional characters that were based on real people!
Number 1 is Severus Snape.
The infamous Severus Snape from
the Harry Potter universe was based
off a real chemistry teacher named John Nettleship.
But Nettleship wasn't just any chemistry teacher,
he taught author J. K. Rowling
while she attended Wyedean School
while growing up in England.
During her time there, she didn't take much
of a liking to Nettleship, which is why
she decided to immortalize her chemistry teacher
as the shady, potion-teaching, Professor Snape.
See, this is exactly why teachers need to be
nice to students, because you never know
which ones might grow up and mention you
unfavorably in their creative works,
Miss McLellan from grade school.
Miserable hag.
Number 2 is Rocky Balboba.
The most iconic fictional boxer of all time,
Rocky Balboa was based off a real fighter,
named Chuck Wepner.
Wepner was a boxer that never made it to the big time,
but did get a chance to fight Muhammad Ali in 1975.
The famous fight went on until Wepner was eventually
knocked out by Ali in the 15th and final round.
Even though he didn't win the fight,
the fact that he lasted so long against Ali
inspired a young actor, named
Sylvester Stallone, who watched the fight on TV,
to write the script for Rocky, and the rest is history.
Ayo, who knew Rocky was a real guy, you know?
Number 3 is Krusty The Clown.
If you're afraid of clowns, prepare yourself.
(goofy laugh)
While growing up in Portland, Oregon, Simpsons
creator Matt Groening used to watch
a television program that featured a
real life clown named Rusty Nails.
As an adult, Groening was inspired to create
the character of Krusty the Clown based on
the mannerisms and persona of the famous
clown that he watched as a child.
You know, it makes a lot more sense now
why he created a weird-ass cartoon series
of people with yellow skin and only eight fingers.
He grew up watching a crazy-ass clown
with a terrifying name like Rusty Nails.
That's enough to warp anybody's mind.
Number 4 is Sherlock Holmes.
Sherlock Holmes, the most famous fictional
detective of all time, was based off a real
Scottish lecturer from the 19th century,
named Doctor Joseph Bell.
Bell was a lecturer at the University of Edinburgh
in Scotland, and was known for his
incredible observational skills and superior intelligence.
In fact, he was famous for being able
to observe a man and instantly deduce things
he couldn't possibly have known.
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the creator of Sherlock Holmes,
was an acquaintance of Bell, and was inspired
to create the character after Bell begin
advising police in several investigations in Scotland.
Number 5 is James Bond.
James Bond, the debonaire super spy
that's been played by actors like Sean Connery
and Daniel Craig, was based off a real British spy,
named Forest Yeo-Thomas.
Yeo-Thomas was known as one of the UK's
top spies during World War II, who infiltrated
enemy territory to carry out secret missions.
He was captured and tortured by the Gestapo,
only to escape to safety.
Ian Fleming, author of the James Bond
novels, was also once a member of British Intelligence,
and although they never worked together,
was inspired to create the character of James Bond
from the stories of Yeo-Thomas' escape
from enemy forces.
I'm just really glad Fleming gave Bond the codename
of 007, instead of using Yeo-Thomas' real codename,
which was White Rabbit.
It doesn't exactly have the same manly ring.
Oh, careful, Goldfinger.
White Rabbit's gonna get ya.
Number 6 is Cosmo Kramer.
One of the most famous characters
from the 90's TV show, Seinfeld, was Cosmo Kramer,
and, as it turns out, was very much based
off a real person, named Kenny Kramer.
Kenny Kramer was a former neighbor
of Seinfeld co-creator, Larry David,
and was known for being eccentric and always
coming up with hairbrained schemes to make money.
One of these schemes included renting
a bus and charging people for a reality tour
of his own life; one of the many ideas that was
actually used in an episode of the show.
Personally, I was a huge fan of Seinfeld,
and I would definitely go on this tour.
Especially if it's only $37.50?
Oh, yeah, giddyup.
Number 7 is Indiana Jones.
The famous archeologist and adventurer,
Indiana Jones was based off a real-life man,
named Hiram Bingham III.
Bingham was a history professor at Yale University,
and, like Indiana Jones, dabbled in archeology.
And, like Indiana Jones, he too was an adventurer.
In fact, he was best known for discovering
the ruins of Machu Picchu in 1911,
first bringing them international attention.
Even the famous gigantic rolling boulder scene
from Indiana Jones in Raiders of the Lost Ark,
took place in a part of Hawaii that looks
a lot like a part of Machu Picchu.
Number 8 is Popeye.
The famous cartoon character, Popeye the Sailor,
was indeed based off a real person,
named Frank Fiegel, who grew up with
the cartoon character's creator, E. C. Segar.
Fiegel was known as the local tough guy
who smoked a pipe, was quick to dish out
an ass whooping if someone provoked him,
and wasn't exactly the best-looking dude.
I'm sure you can see the similarities.
Even Popeye's girlfriend, Olive Oyl,
was based off a tall thin woman that he knew,
named Dora Pascal.
Man, I miss watching Popeye on Saturday mornings.
That was the best.
But, then again, I guess there's just as good
cartoons nowadays, like...
Power Puff Girls, I guess?
(sigh)
I miss the good old days of cartoons.
Number 9 is Zorro.
The legendary masked outlaw, Zorro,
was based off a man born in 1829, named Joaquin Murrieta.
The story of Murrieta is that his family
was attacked and murdered by American miners.
Unable to find justice through the legal system,
he became a vigilante known as,
The Robin Hood of El Dorado,
who sought revenge on the men that wronged him.
After his death in 1853, his name quickly
became a legend, which inspired the character
of Zorro, in the novella The Curse of Capistrano, in 1919.
I always found it very interesting that Batman
became more famous than Zorro, because
both men are masked outlaws whose families were killed,
but Zorro has that smooth, Spanish accent,
whereas Batman sounds like a person with a lisp
and a permanent cold.
Figure that one out.
And number 10, Norman Bates.
Norman Bates, the crazy killer from the novel
turned movie, Psycho, was based off a real murderer
from the 1950s, named Ed Gein.
The author of the novel, Robert Bloch,
lived less than one hour away from where Gein
butchered two women and attempted to wear
their skin like a suit.
These gruesome acts gave Bloch the inspiration
to create the character of Norman Bates,
who dresses up as his own mother
and kills his hotel guests.
Interestingly, Gein also inspired Leatherface
from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre,
and Buffalo Bill from Silence of the Lambs.
That's right, some of the scariest horror movie
characters of all time actually existed.
Enjoy going to bed with that knowledge.
(evil laughter)
It's just skin, Stephen.
Anyways, that's all for this video, guys.
I really hope you enjoyed it,
and, as it turns out, fiction isn't
so fictional after all, huh?
If you'd like to add me to Facebook and Twitter,
or check out my second channel,
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You guys know the deal.
And other than that, I will see you guys next
Saturday with a brand new video.
Peace.
(triumphant horns)
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Same bat time, same bat channel.
Nananananananana.
I don't know what that was.