Top 10 Disturbing Origins of Movie Characters

Everybody's got some skeletons in the closet... sometimes literally! Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the creepiest and most unsettling real-life inspirations behind some iconic movie characters. Fair warning, this list does contain spoilers. Our countdown includes characters from movies “The Silence of the Lambs”, “Misery”, “Halloween” and more! Which of these backstories had you never heard before? Tell us in the comments.
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#movies #disturbing #backstories #dracula #hannibal #freddy #horror

[@WatchMojo]

Which of these backstories had you never heard before? Tell us in the comments. For more content like this, click here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/oZfFlWyCirmmftU Don't forget to play our Live Trivia (www.watchmojo.com/play) games at 3pm EST for a chance to win cash! The faster you answer, the more points you get!

[@Reaperguy67]

​@Funny.Man101 you are not funny and you need to stop spamming

[@BrandonScott-mi5pz]

EXCELLENT WORK. WATCHMOJO DISTURBING ORIGIN OF MOVIE CHARACTERS.

[@whitleysdollhouse877]

All of them

[@aisforapple2494]

My Dad and his friend saw 'Psycho' in the movie theatre when it came out. When it got to the shower scene and the stabbing starts, Dad told me that the black guy seated in front of him stood up and yelled, "Lordy, I can't take no more of this shit!" and left immediately. 🤣🤣🤣

[@vincentveryvile5051]

I honestly love that Freddy Krueger was inspired by a horrifying anomaly centered around my people. Thank you, Wes Craven for putting us on the map.

[@trinaq]

Kathy Bates deservedly won the Oscar for her chilling, unnerving performance as Annie. To date, it's the only Stephen King adaptation to win an Oscar.

[@b1646717]

Cockadoodie right.

[@Dopecheetah]

They wanted Bette Midler, but she turned it down because she thought it was too violent. Midler says it’s her biggest movie regret. I love Midler but I don’t think she could have done what Kathy Bates did. Bates killed it.

[@rubygracemoseley8144]

That seems shocking because Stephen King is…you know…Stephen King

[@karlsmith2570]

Something that most people aren't aware of is that the role Kathy Bates played in "Misery" was her acting debut

[@sophiepomerleau708]

I really love this actress but I cannot watch Mysery. She scare me so much !!!

[@justapeacefulmanwhosbornin7291]

Norman Bates (played by Anthony Perkins) WAS A PSYCHO WITH MOMMY ISSUES.

[@Jamal-bl7yh]

T-800 From The Terminator Franchise (1984-) He Was Inspired by a food poisoning Nightmare James Cameron had which gave him the Insentive to develop the original Terminator movie In the early 1980's and cinema history was born also happy 40th Anniversary to Terminator as a whole

[@danielsantiagourtado3430]

Love your content guys ❤❤❤

[@Jeremiah_Rivers76]

_The Scream_ and Ghostface… I can see the resemblance between them.

[@inkedwerdsmith]

The Ghostface mask was actually found by one of the producers, but they altered it to avoid copyright violations. They were able to use Edvard Munch’s famous painting as it’s in the public domain, which means it’s legal to use it without permission from the estate. The original white mask resembled the ghoulish face seen on the poisoned apple the titular character in “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” (1937)…

[@CandiceVidito]

So basically all of these movie characters are based on real people in history?

[@mytruecrimelibrary]

A lot are. Reality is stranger than fiction.

[@seantlewis376]

"Inspired by" would be more accurate. Writers find their inspiration in many places. As mentioned by the narrator in this, Michael Myers was inspired by at least three actual serial killers, combining the author's perceptions of them into the ultimate evil.

[@PaulaStreetGuitar]

All monsters are human 😉

[@darkball31]

*kind of* cogh nightmare on elme street *had sleep* as a killer

[@xtheunknown4662]

Yeah, Hollywood has no imagination. Besides the real World is scary enough.

[@kevinnovak6511]

One character I've never been able to find more information on was the kid they based the comedy movie "Problem Child" upon. Some early stuff for Michael Richards as the villain, John Ritter as the male adult lead. One of the crew members had mentioned that the child the comedic main character was based upon was a kid who had mental issues - and that when he'd enter a room, any pets/animals would become scared of him and leave. Have searched this a few times, but never came up with any further information, asides from a mention of a crew member.

[@midnightodellewest1999]

Problem Child was based on the 1988 Los Angeles Times article “An Adopted Boy-and Terror Begins” which was about the adoption of Tommy Colella. His adoptive parents, Tom and Janice Colella sued the Orange County Social Services Agency for allegedly tricking them into adopting a sociopathic boy. They settled with Orange County for $70,000 and the adoption was severed. The boy was committed to a mental institution but continued to make constant death threats to them.

[@imerci1]

"We all go a little mad sometimes". I have that and the rest of my arm covered in tattoos in tribute of Psycho/Hitchcock.

[@tylergoodman3560]

Misery, I've actually heard; I love that movie. I've seen it 4 times. 🎉

[@annlouiserainey4888]

I’ve always been fascinated with certain characters and their backgrounds/backstories/origins and why/how they came into being. I sometimes feel like I’m a psychologist and doing some psychoanalysis to put the puzzle together

[@EjaygamZ]

Wait wait wait, who takes a class trip to a psych ward? Are we just gonna skip over that!?

[@Nola5427]

Gotta mix it up! Lol 🤣😅😂 Maybe they were learning about mental health ? 🙅‍♀️

[@camgold2154]

Ed Gein also inspired Buffalo Bill and Leatherface

[@SLAV326]

That Ghostface mask was popular way before Scream was even conceptualized.

[@danielmcdirty8351]

😯WHOA!!!😲 Who would've thought that they are ALL based off REAL PEOPLE and REAL EVENTS 🤷💯👍🏾

[@zeokingsilver]

It’s movie night kiddies

[@damaniqphillip2756]

Awesome

[@BlackHatCinephile]

🥉

[@davidhoj]

Florida Man 😂😂😂

[@NativeWarrior88]

I was thinking the same thing, lol!

[@tkskagen]

The original Texas Chainsaw Massacre film has always been my favorite horror movie.

[@justapeacefulmanwhosbornin7291]

Michael Myers from the 1978 motion picture version. After 45+ years, Myers (aged 6 to 64) literally killed dozens of people, including a preadolescent, several teenagers, those in their 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, and 70s in the canon timeline (with John Carpenter as co-executive producer).

[@thenecrosanct4906]

Interesting list. Didn't know all of these characters were "inspired" by real life people (I knew about some of them). Small correction for number 1, though: it's Ed Gein, not Ed Geins.

[@CollinNuding-xr4nz]

9:01 that hairline💀

[@justapeacefulmanwhosbornin7291]

Freddy Krueger played by Robert Englund. Happy 77th birthday. The bastard son of a hundred maniacs. The infamous child killer. And finally… The supernatural slashing villain. Created by Wes Craven (RIP).

[@sheyennefullwiley9247]

Umm the Freddy Krueger one FUCKED me up😮

[@meziembamara4004]

4:11 😱 This painting also inspired the Hell victims in foreground of Stage 4 in 1980's ALTERED BEAST videogame. This predates even the movie.

[@Egill2011]

The creepiest connection to me is that between Pennywise and John W. Gacy. The evil disguised as a clown killed dozens of people in Chicago, but this was for real.

[@CainNuke]

Wrong title, those are not origin stories but inspiration events or people.

[@ReicantheJester]

the way you said "Edward Munch" lmao. So American.

[@ThereWasABadKittiFromBmore]

Art imitates life. Why do you think Hollyweird makes these movies??? Really not for entertainment, more like documentaries and subliminal warnings😏

[@Uncle_Smidge]

Put the tin foil hat down and touch titty

[@dreamguardian8320]

There was a horror story in Ireland that's like Dracula, it's the story of the female blood sucker named Dearg Due.

[@eugeniapatroncosta920]

Every of those characters are villains of terror movies.

[@D00r3]

John List is also the inspiration for The Stepfather. Although it was never confirmed, shades of him can also be seen in Falling Down

[@midnightodellewest1999]

2:59 Hold up, they took a class trip to a psychiatric institution?

[@ROCKONplaceboforever]

The more you know makes this movies even more interesting and terrifying

[@hendo76-u6g]

Ed Gein seems to be an inspiration for alot of horror movies

[@rubygracemoseley8144]

“Brenner appears to have aged a lot in the last ten years” Yep…people tend to do that

[@judsonleach5248]

I'm 57 now.. I spent a lifetime... With nightmares of Freddy krueger... UNTIL!!!- Rick & Morty "Rebranded" Him! As "Scary Terry"!!! Lol now? - I sleep just fine! Thank you, Justin roiland! :-)

[@Bluestar-bh3bf]

The Freddy Krueger origin was scary I feel bad for that kid who was afraid to sleep

[@elijahwatt9643]

I wonder if, when 'Nightmare on Elm Street' came out Fred Kreuger knew it had to be based on his name

[@raigodalvarez5656]

Texas chainsaw and ed gein??

[@kaylasilver1994]

Top 10 scariest dinosaurs moments from movies or tv shows 😊

[@ZomBeeNature]

I have only seen two of those movies. They were enough.

[@whitleysdollhouse877]

Is there more disturbing origins of movie characters, yes or no?

[@Thecoolguy463]

Ed Gein inspired a lot of the people on this list. Lets you know how truly terrifying he was.

[@scottbakanumba1heathen313]

Angela (Peter) Baker from Sleepaway Camp.

[@summertonproductions5920]

You missed the scariest of them all. Based on a real story. Mick Taylor from wolf creek

[@jovandudley4151]

I've been watching horror movies all my life❤❤

[@KadeStringer2.0]

Michael Myers wasn’t inspired by a criminal . I just wanted to point out that out before anyone jumps to conclusions

[@jorgeadairramos7469]

Hello good afternoon 😮😮😮🎉🎉🎉

[@ThomasEhrlich-fc8nj]

Could there be any disturbing origins of Pennywise or characters inspired by John Wayne Gacy?

[@manoftheusajones5147]

TOP 10 Ugliest Robots

[@josh72456]

I knew from numbers 9, 8, 6, 4, 3 and 1.

[@judsonleach5248]

I'd be more scared of Bryan Singer than Kaiser Sosey! Lol I took him to a Hollywood sound awards ceremony in 93... (I was receiving an award for the Paige Master) It got super weird... Super fast! ... (Don't ask!) Lol

[@JennCampbell]

NOPE! They found the Scream mask, and loved it. They researched the manufacturer and got he rights to use it. Vlad Dracul (the dragon) was the father of Vlad Dracula (son of the dragon).

[@jonathangamez6714]

Norman Bates wasn't the only person based off Ed Gene Buffalo Bill because he would wear his skin Jason Voorhees and of course Leatherface these iconic people were based off this one sadistic man the fact that he would go to graveyards and take their bodies and wear their skin and had his whole house covered in human remains so he only killed three people he did Rob a lot of graveyards disturbing the lease but because of that he give this some of the most bone-chilling iconic slasher villains in Norman Bates Jason Voorhees and Leatherface😊

[@jovandudley4151]

God bless the horror movie genre 💯💯

[@Hilz28]

Is that silly screaming sound effect really necessary, during #10?

[@Animeguy300]

Those are based on real life events

[@lucasrichter1390]

The Xenomorth

[@malachymorales4261]

😂

[@jamesmoss3424]

Freddy Kruger.

[@connordebruler3264]

Cigarette Lemonade

[@aisforapple2494]

It's Caril Ann Fugate (Few-Gate), not "foo-gottee".

[@grimkelfrost]

Is it possible to mlchaarve the spouse of your beloved if she has finished you, even if she is a holy of holies

[@intermixhector2902]

question was