These 5 fictional characters were inspired by people who really existed
We are so used to certain characters around us on a daily basis, that we do not even think that they could have been inspired by real people. Certain fates, appearances or characters have nevertheless given ideas to authors to write stories that remain popular many years later.
- James Montgomery Flagg — Oncle Sam
The expression "Uncle Sam" appeared thanks to butcher Samuel Wilson, who supplied the US military with barrels of barrels labeled "US" (United-States), and according to the official version, when an English guard was asked that these letters signified, he deciphered the name of the manufacturer: Uncle Sam (Uncle Sam).
And it is James Montgomery Flagg who personified this image. According to the artist himself, he used his own face as a model for "Uncle Sam".
- The Romanian prince Vlad III - Count Dracula
The person who inspired the famous vampire was the Prince of Wallachia (Romania) Vlad III Basarab. He preferred to call himself Dracula, which in Romanian means "son of the dragon". The prince has gone down in history as a bloodthirsty ruler in the literal sense of the word.
Columnist Michael Beheim described one of Dracula's dinners: during a meal, the prince ordered his guests to be impaled and used their blood as a sauce.
Interestingly, the circumstances of the prince's death and the place where he was buried are not known. According to some reports, the body has never been found. According to another version, his remains were buried but then disappeared.
- Alexander Selkirk — Robinson Crusoé
The character of Robinson Crusoe was born thanks to a Scottish sailor named Alexander Selkirk. he was in violent temper and constantly quarreled with the captain of the ship in which he worked.
After another dispute, Selkirk demanded to be landed on the nearest island. Más-a-Tierra is the name of the uninhabited island on which the sailor stayed 4 years and 4 months, completely alone.
Interestingly, today Robinson Crusoe Island has become a tourist attraction.
- Clint Eastwood - Roland Deschain, The Dark Tower
The physical appearance and mannerisms of the main character Roland Deschain (Stephen King's The Dark Tower) were inspired by a character played by Clint Eastwood in a movie.
Interestingly enough, in the sixth novel in The Song of Susannah, Stephen King himself becomes one of the characters. In a conversation with Roland, he says: "A fantastic version of Clint Eastwood in The Unnamed Man seemed like a great idea, and working with you was a lot of fun for me."
- Jules Brunet - Nathan Algren, The Last Samurai
The person who inspired the character of Nathan Algren (played by Tom Cruise), in the movie The Last Samurai, is the French Jules Brunet, who arrived in Japan in 1867 as an artillery instructor.
A year later, the French army was ordered to leave the country of the Rising Sun, but Jules Brunet decided to stay. He participated in the last battle of Hakodate.
Interesting fact: Several scenes of the film were cut, but according to many spectators, it would have been necessary to leave them, because they perfectly represented the atmosphere of the time.