Animated by James Baxter and Mark Henn, the former of whom based the character's graceful gait on those of impressionist Edgar Degas' ballerinas, Belle's European facial features were inspired by those of British actresses Vivien Leigh and Audrey Hepburn.
Around this time, animators turned to the then child star Alyssa Milano for further inspiration to cement Ariel's signature look. In 2013, Milano revealed on The Wendy Williams Show that she had no idea about her link to the Disney princess at the time.
Who was originally cast as Belle in Beauty and the Beast?
Disney had originally considered casting Jodi Benson from The Little Mermaid as Belle. They eventually decided upon Broadway actress and singer Paige O'Hara in favor of having a heroine who sounded "more like a woman than a girl".
"Emma Watson was our first -- and really our only -- choice for Belle," director Bill Condon said, "for a lot of reasons: her talent, her beauty, her intelligence." He also said that the actress is similar to Belle because she is strong and independent.
Disney Debuts First Plus-Size Main Character in Animated Short Film “Reflect” It's a story about body image and self-love. Say hello to Bianca, Disney's first-ever plus-size heroine.
Animated by James Baxter and Mark Henn, the former of whom based the character's graceful gait on those of impressionist Edgar Degas' ballerinas, Belle's European facial features were inspired by those of British actresses Vivien Leigh and Audrey Hepburn.
Actress Margaret Kerry received a call to audition to serve as the live-action reference for Tinker Bell. There is a myth that the original animated version of Tinker Bell was modelled after Marilyn Monroe. However, Disney animator Marc Davis's primary reference was Margaret Kerry.
The original character in the 1989 movie was inspired by the triple threat drag queen, actor, and singer Divine, a fact that was mere speculation at first, but has since been confirmed by those involved with the film. Divine catapulted to cult fame after appearing in Pink Flamingos, John Waters' filthy 1972 comedy.
Pat Carroll wasn't the first choice for the voice of Ursula. The studio wanted "Golden Girls" star Bea Arthur to voice the sea witch, according to Allan Neuwirth's book "Makin' Toons: Inside the Most Popular Animated TV Shows and Movies." But apparently, Arthur's agent wasn't a fan of the idea.
The new version stars Halle Bailey, most known for her role in the Grammy-nominated Chloe x Halle R&B duo, as Ariel in the actress's first starring feature film role. This casting of a Black woman as the iconic mermaid has made waves.
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs came out in 1937, debuting the very first Disney princess with Snow White herself. Voiced by Adriana Caselotti, she's incredibly of her time (i.e. dated af).
“She kind of looked like Angelina Jolie — very beautiful,” O'Hara said in the book “Disney Princess: Beyond the Tiara,” as excerpted by Insider. “I didn't see how anybody would identify with that person. You'd look at her and put her on a pedestal. [Animators] changed the look of her.
Some critics have speculated that the gown was inspired by a costume actress Audrey Hepburn wears in the film Roman Holiday (1953), but this has not been confirmed by Disney.
During film production in the late 1980s, animators used actress Alyssa Milano as the main inspiration for Ariel's look. During The Little Mermaid release, both Alyssa and Ariel shared the same age of 17, but Milano didn't know that she was a model for Ariel while the movie was being made.
Milano, who was a popular teen starlet at the time of the film's early stages, likely inspired Ariel's youthful and feminine facial features. Like Brinkley, Milano also donned the same type of big 80s hair reflected in Ariel's stylization.
Why does Belle look different in Beauty and the Beast?
Belle's early look in "Beauty and the Beast" was considered too glamorous to be relatable. In "Disney Princess: Beyond the Tiara," voice actor Paige O'Hara compared early concept art to Angelina Jolie. Belle was described as looking "a little too perfect." Animators changed her appearance, accordingly.
Kida is over 8,800 years old. Fans have clamored for Kida to be included in the Disney Princess lineup for diversity purposes, but Disney executives had a feeling that Kida doesn't fit in, possibly because of the film's poor box office performance.
Most of the Disney princesses wear dresses or skirts. But in 1992, Jasmine became the first to wear pants. Mulan followed as the second in 1998 and then came Anna and Elsa in 2019 for "Frozen 2" — though, technically, they're both queens by the end of the film, not princesses.
Emma Watson earned $70 million during the eight movies of Harry Potter, $15 million for her role as Belle in Beauty and the Beast, and $5 to $10 million a year in endorsements.
It's easy to mock solo weddings or Watson, for calling herself “self-partnered,” but both hit on the importance of each person's relationship with themselves. It's something you cultivate and work on, and it can change over time.
Sources say Emma Watson is pulling in $3 million upfront to play book-smart protagonist Belle. But her final payday will escalate to $15 million if the film's final haul is similar to 'Maleficent. '
