50+ Disney Characters that Are Based on Real People

One of the most recognizable and arguably most loved Disney villains is Ursula from The Little Mermaid. What most do not know is that creating her look was not easy as the creators battled with two very different directions. They could have either made her look like actress Joan Collins or Drag Queen Divine.

In the end, then-Disney playwright Howard Ashman decided on Divine’s inspired sketches. The final version of Ursula has the Divine’s physique, facial features as well as the drag queen’s eye makeup, jewelry, and signature mohawk which was an iconic part of Divine’s Pink Flamingos (1972) character Babs Johnson.