29 Eyebrow-Arching Inspirations Behind Our Favorite Movies And Shows

Unsurprisingly, Tarantino thinks he's really cool.
29 Eyebrow-Arching Inspirations Behind Our Favorite Movies And Shows

It's no secret that many of our favorite movies and shows are inspired by real-life events. After all, truth is often stranger than fiction. However, there are some surprising inspirations behind some of our favorites that you might not be aware of. For example, did you know that the movie "The Shining" was based on a true story? Stephen King was reportedly inspired to write the novel after he experienced a number of strange events while staying at the Stanley Hotel in Colorado. Another example is the show "Breaking Bad." The main character, Walter White, is based on a real-life chemist who turned to cook meth after he was diagnosed with cancer. While some of these stories may be fictionalized, they offer a fascinating glimpse into the real-life inspirations behind some of our favorite movies and shows.

The inspiration for the Hulk came from Jack Kirby after encountering a superhuman feat of strength. More on that and 29 other wild inspirations behind beloved movies and shows:

The Godfather

The inspiration for James Caan's character in The Godfather was Don Rickles. Speaking about it, Caan later said: I was thinking of my friend, Don Rickles. I told everybody, you know, and I started laughing like Don Rickles. CRACKED.COM

CBS

J. Jonah Jameson

CRACKED.COM Spider-Man J. Jonah Jameson is an over-the-top Stan Lee. Lee has admitted that the publisher of the Daily Bugle is an exaggerated version of himself. I thought, ifl were a grumpy, irritable man, which I am sometimes, how would I act?

NPR

Scandal

SCANDAL'S OLIVIA pope IS BASED on CRISIS MANAGEMENT GURU JUDY SMITH...MOSTLY. Smith, who worked as deputy press secretary to President George H W. Bush, is quick to point out that Pope's steamy affair with the leader of the free world is a complete work of fiction. CRACKED.COM

ABC

Yoda from ‘Star Wars’

Yoda was partly based on Stuart Freeborn, the guy that brought him to life. Freeborn was a Hollywood makeup artist who had worked on the Star Wars franchise and had helped design Yoda, basing him on himself and Einstein. CRACKED.COM

Slate

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