Top 20 Movie Villains Inspired By Real People

“The Usual Suspects” (1995)

Most of this noir mystery is concerned with the identity of Turkish crime lord Keyser Söze. In one of cinema’s greatest and most famous twist endings, the elusive Söze is revealed to be Kevin Spacey’s Verbal Kint. The character of Söze is a creation of writer Christopher McQuarrie, who took inspiration from the story of John List. List ended the lives of his mother, wife, and children and subsequently disappeared. No one knew who or where he was. In fact, he assumed a new identity in Denver, Colorado as “Bob Clark” and began working at a paper box company. He stayed there from 1979 to 1986, and he was finally apprehended in ‘89. He was subsequently sentenced to life in prison.

“The Godfather” (1972)

A Corleone associate in Las Vegas, Moe Greene is a minor but important character within “The Godfather.” He’s the one who helped establish organized crime in Vegas and eventually takes on Fredo during the war. But Michael wants his casino, so he has Greene shot while he’s getting a massage. Greene’s character is largely modelled after mobster Bugsy Siegel. Like Greene, Siegel was a Jewish mobster with connections to the Italian-American mafia. He also moved from New York to Nevada and was paramount in the creation of Las Vegas. He opened casinos and helped introduce both gambling and organized crime to the city. And, like Greene, Siegel was eventually killed in a hit. He was not getting a massage.

“The Mummy” (1999)

Believe it or not, Imhotep was actually a real person! Well, he wasn’t buried alive, and he certainly didn’t come back to life, grow a new body, and kill people. But you know, aside from all that, he was real! Imhotep was alive during the 27th century BC, and as a result, not much is known about his life. In fact, much of his supposed history was written long after his death. What we do know is that he served as chancellor under the Pharaoh Djoser and that he is the likely architect of the Pyramid of Djoser. Imhotep became revered as a god of medicine long after his passing, and the location of his tomb remains unknown.

“Casino Royale” (2006)

A new style of Bond needed a new style of villain, and Le Chiffre was the answer. With his signature cloudy eye and scar, Le Chiffre isn’t a mastermind intent on ruling the world. He’s just a naive banker who funds terrorism and stages a poker game. Author Ian Fleming reportedly based Le Chiffre on famous occultist Aleister Crowley. Or, at least his physical description. Unlike the conventionally attractive Mads Mikkelsen, Le Chiffre appears much like, well, like Aleister Crowley, in Fleming’s novel. He is described as being very thick, with a lumbering style of movement. This was mirrored in the 1967 spoof version of “Casino Royale,” where Le Chiffe is played by a large Orson Welles.

“One Hundred and One Dalmatians” (1961)

One of the most famous Disney villains, Cruella de Vil is highly notable for both her appearance and her motivations. Her skunk hair and massive fur coats are iconic, and her desire to skin puppies is easily one of the most depraved in the Disney canon. While she’s technically a creation of author Dodie Smith, Disney did a lot of work in making her their own. Her tall and lanky frame was modelled after actress Mary Wickes, and her mannerisms after stage actress Tallulah Bankhead. Disney has called Cruella “a manic take-off on…Tallulah Bankhead,” and Betty Lou Gerson reportedly modelled her vocal performance after the famous stage actress.

“Citizen Kane” (1941)

Some may call Charles Foster Kane a villain protagonist, as the movie explores his unlikable personality, his tragic downfall, and the events that led to his lonely death. Most historians agree that Kane was modelled after newspaper tycoon William Randolph Hearst. Some of the movie’s plot points mirror Hearst’s life, like when he tried getting his mistress Marion Davies into dramatic films. The movie also used Hearst’s private ranch as a filming location for Kane’s estate. Finally, Hearst’s famous quote “You furnish the pictures, and I'll furnish the war” was turned into “You provide the prose poems; I'll provide the war” for the movie. We don’t know if he had a sled.

“Shrek” (2001)

The little man with big ambitions, Lord Farquaad of Duloc wishes to marry Princess Fiona so he can become King. Farquaad’s physical design is arguably his most famous aspect. He’s very short, he has a massive square chin, and he has a ridiculous shoulder length bob that makes him look like Uma Thurman from “Pulp Fiction.” While nothing is 100% confirmed, it’s widely assumed that Farquaad was physically modeled after Disney CEO Michael Eisner. “Shrek” producer Jeffrey Katzenberg reportedly didn’t gel with Eisner, and he had Farquaad modeled after his former boss as a mean-spirited joke.

“Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi” (1983)

Now if you want mean-spirited jokes, let’s talk about Jabba the Hutt! As everyone knows, Jabba is the massive and horrifically ugly slug creature who originally appears in the first act of “Return of the Jedi.” George Lucas reportedly told his design team to make Jabba the Hutt look like Sydney Greenstreet, a popular ‘40s actor known for movies like “Casablanca” and “The Maltese Falcon.” They in turn took Greenstreet as inspiration and did a little fantasy fine-tuning, resulting in the grotesque Jabba we all know and love. Funnily enough, Jabba was originally supposed to wear a fez, much like Greenstreet’s character in “Casablanca.”

“The Devil Wears Prada” (2006)

It has long been believed that the cold and demanding Miranda Priestly is based on Vogue’s editor-in-chief, Anna Wintour. It’s important to note that the book’s author, Lauren Weisberger, has long denied that she based Priestly on Wintour. However, the comparisons are just too obvious to ignore, and people have strong reason to believe that Weisberger was writing about Wintour. Weisberger had once worked as a personal assistant to Wintour, and many critics believe that the events of her novel were modelled after her time at Vogue. Intentional or not, Miranda Priestly has strong roots in reality.

“Natural Born Killers” (1994)

Arguably one of the most controversial films of the ‘90s, “Natural Born Killers” stars Woody Harrelson and Juliette Lewis as a roaming serial killer couple, Mickey and Mallory, who become media sensations. They were modeled after spree killer Charles Starkweather and his girlfriend, Caril Ann Fugate. There are a few key differences, like Fugate being just 14 in real life. But many other things line up. Just like Mickey, Starkweather killed Fugate’s stepfather and mother before taking her on a killing spree through the country. And just like in the movie, their crime spree became a media sensation. And while Mickey and Mallory earned their freedom, Starkweather was eventually executed and Fugate spent 17 years in prison.

The “Austin Powers” Franchise (1997-2003)

Possibly everybody’s favorite character, let alone villain, from the Austin Powers series, Dr. Evil is well-known for being a spoof of typical James Bond villains, especially Ernst Stavro Blofeld. However, Dr. Evil is also reportedly based on a real person, and that person is “Saturday Night Live” producer Lorne Michaels – who just so happened to be one of Mike Myers’ bosses from his time on the show. Myers is said to have based Evil’s facial and vocal mannerisms on Michaels’, and even the baddie’s catchphrase, “Throw me a frickin’ bone, here, people” is borrowed from him, a take-off of something he regularly spouted during SNL meetings.

The “Harry Potter” Franchise (2001-11)

No, there wasn’t really a dark magical wizard like this, so you can put your minds at ease. In reality, author J.K. Rowling allegedly based Snape, the greasy-haired, ambiguous tormentor of Harry and his friends, on her old chemistry teacher John Nettleship. Nettleship was the Head of Science at Wyedean School in Gloucestershire, which also happened to be where Rowling’s mother briefly worked. The schoolteacher would later describe himself as short-tempered and with a dark, foreboding laboratory. While we’re hoping he didn’t directly hit students over the head with a book, Nettleship’s strictness had surely become legendary by his retirement in 1997.

“The Little Mermaid” (1989)


Ursula is technically based on the Sea Witch character from the Hans Christian Andersen story “The Little Mermaid,” which, you know, this movie is adapted from. But Disney actually dramatically expanded her role and provided her with an original character design for the animated musical fantasy. This design, including her wild hair, extravagant makeup, and large figure, was actually modeled after the famous drag queen Divine. Of course, he didn’t have tentacles – since he wasn’t an ocean-dwelling invertebrate. Divine was born Harris Milstead, but he often took on his Divine persona for his music and film career. Unfortunately, he passed away only one year before “The Little Mermaid’s” release.

“Misery” (1990)

Annie Wilkes is one of the most popular figures in horror, known for her seemingly sweet yet actually malicious personality and the atrocious acts she commits towards Paul Sheldon, an author she holds captive after rescuing him during a blizzard. These acts include tying him to a bed and brutally breaking his ankles with a sledgehammer. In the DVD commentary, director Rob Reiner stated that a pediatric nurse named Genene Jones, who would induce paralysis in her patients before attempting to “revive” them in order to receive praise for her efforts, loosely influenced the murderous tendencies of Wilkes’ character. Jones may have killed up to 46 children, though only 2 were confirmed - which landed her a 99-year prison sentence.

“The Silence of the Lambs” (1991)


This movie gave us one of cinema’s most renowned villains in Hannibal Lecter, the unnervingly intelligent cannibal that helps Clarice Starling in her search for a serial killer. He is a character adapted from Thomas Harris’ two suspense novels from the ‘80s, but it wasn’t until the 21st century that Harris revealed Lecter’s inspiration to be a man he called Dr. Salazar. While working as a reporter, Harris spoke to this eloquent doctor in prison, in a similar interaction to Starling and Lecter’s discussions. Though Harris never revealed the inmate’s real name, Dr. Salazar’s story and the information given by Harris seem to point to a real-life Mexican doctor named Alfredo Balli Trevino, who served a sentence at the same prison for chopping up his lover.

“Goldfinger” (1964)


While the titular villain may have been overshadowed by his own henchman in the film, he still poses as a menacing threat to James Bond as he attempts to radioactively contaminate the gold in Fort Knox. American media at the time claimed that Goldfinger’s persona was based on a gold mining magnate by the name of Charles W. Engelhard, Jr. During the ‘50s, Engelhard built his company into one of the world’s leaders in the refining of precious metals, with specific attention paid to gold, which he acquired from South Africa. Though the history books omit a small, steel hat-wielding henchman in Engelhard’s story, we can’t rule him out as a likely model for the character.

“Back to the Future Part II” (1989)

While he had a minor role as an intimidating bully in the first movie, Biff’s role is significantly expanded for the sequel. Now, Tannen is an extremely wealthy and powerful man. In October of 2015 - the same month and year that are visited in the second film - writer Bob Gale admitted Donald Trump influenced the older version of Biff, as the business mogul was a well-established American figure in the late 1980s thanks to his significant role in the real estate market. While Gale had never admitted this fact before Trump’s presidential bid in 2015, the similarities between the two are undeniable.

“The Texas Chain Saw Massacre” (1974)

One of the most iconic slashers in movie history, Leatherface has been scaring people since his debut in 1974. Of course, the story of the real Leatherface goes back even further - back to 1957 Wisconsin. It was then that authorities discovered the crimes of Ed Gein, also known as the Butcher of Plainfield. Gein killed two women, and much like Leatherface, he was known to exhume corpses and make keepsakes - including masks - out of human skin. His house was also found decorated much like Leatherface’s, complete with human bones and skulls. In fact, Gein has inspired a huge number of iconic villains, including Norman Bates. Suffice to say, his nightmarish story has long endured through popular culture.

The “X-Men” Franchise (2000-)


Magneto is one of the X-Men’s primary antagonists, a man who holds the ability to manipulate magnetic fields and dons a helmet that’s resistant to telepathy. It sounds nerdy, but it’s pretty badass when he completely uproots the Golden Gate Bridge in “X-Men: The Last Stand.” His villainy stems from his violent and forceful attitude against mutant oppression by humans, which we can’t help but admit sounds similar to Malcolm X’s approach towards racism in America. In fact, comic book writer Chris Claremont confirmed the connection. To top things off, Magneto’s first comic book appearance was in the September 1963 issue of X-Men, at the height of the civil rights movement.

Various (1931-)

Known for his penchant for violence, his bloodsucking ways and his signature cape and fangs, Dracula has become a pop culture mainstay throughout the last century and beyond. It all started with the famous 1897 novel of the same name, in which author Bram Stoker based his iconic villain on the 15th century Prince of Wallachia, later dubbed Vlad the Impaler and also known as Vlad Dracula. While it hasn’t been proven that Vlad drank blood, he did gain a reputation for being excessively violent and cruel, mostly stemming from his practice of impaling enemies on the battlefield. As such, he’s inspired numerous films throughout the years, technically starting with the unauthorized adaptation called “Nosferatu” in 1922, and he continues in the 21st century.