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

1. Aladdin Is Tom Cruise

The Character: Tramp, Thomas O'Malley and to an extent Robin Hood; many of Disney's most popular male heroes are rouges. The most high profile of all would have to be Aladdin, the beggar boy who becomes a king. Despite having to face off against Robin Williams in full swing, the character manages to keep the handle in the movie, thanks in no small part to his wordless monkey pal Abi and the Magic Carpet providing plenty to work off. Also noteworthy (as with Ariel preceding him) was how modern and current his character design was.

The Real Person: The original design of Aladdin borrowed heavily from Michael J. Fox, but the one in the final film is pretty straight up Tom Cruise. The story goes that the original design looked too young (to be expected of a character based off Marty McFly), so it was ditched in favour of a more mature, Maverick inspired one. Once you see, it's impossible to unsee; skin tone aside, Aladdin is straight up Cruise. Although in mannerisms, the inspiration was something even funnier; to draw the movement of his baggy trousers, animators looked at MC Hammer for insight.

Are there any more famous people Disney animators have turned to for classic characters? Let us know in the comments below.