48 Characters Found in Pop Culture That Are Based on Real People

The Joker is one of modern history’s most well-known comic book villains. Batman’s nemesis is famous for his permanent grin, but it’s actually not an original idea. The Joker’s appearance was inspired by Gwynplaine, a villain who was featured in the earliest known monster movie.

Gwynplaine, who has a disfigured and permanent smile due to a botched surgery, was featured in the 1909 film The Man Who Laughs. A copy of this film no longer exists, but a remake was made in 1928. The influence of The Joker goes even further back to 1869 when Victor Hugo published a novel of the same name. Who knew The Joker’s origin story went back over 100 years?