7 Classic Disney Characters You Had No Idea Were Modelled On Real People

5. Ariel Is Alyssa Milano

The Character: Disney princesses have a reputation for being rather bland characters, but in the film that proved to be the company's big revival, they created one that the target audience and their parents could really relate to. Ariel is a modern teenager, angry at her father while not understanding his viewpoint at all. She came across with real personality and cuteness, a feat made all the more impressive by her fish lower half.

The Real Person: Ariel was originally based on Sherri Stoner (more on her later), but to give her that defining look, the animators turned to Alyssa Milano. The then sixteen year old was one of the main characters in sitcom Who's The Boss and it was this role that caught the animators' eye. She was the embodiment of a modern teenage girl, so a perfect barometer of what the current style was. What's notable about Milano is that not only were her looks incorporated into the character, a lot of her personality (from the show at least), was worked in too.