Find out which features of Michael Jackson were used to create the iconic character
Owner of hits such as ‘Smooth Criminal’ and ‘Thriller’, Michael Jackson, became one of the biggest influences on music, even earning the title of king of pop. But, in addition to music, the star who grew up on stage, never hid his love for Disney, — and perhaps this is one of the hidden reasons why the artist served as an inspiration for one of the studio’s characters.
That’s because one of the greatest villains in the House of Mickey had his musical numbers performed through the use of references to the unique and iconic steps performed by Michael in their videos and concerts.
If you don’t know who it is, don’t worry, RECREIO explains!
The Shadow Man
In ‘The Princess and the Frog’, when Naveen lands in New Orleans, the audience ends up discovering new details of Disney’s last 2D villain: Dr.Facilier.
The sorcerer, who is also known as the man of shadows, has a debt with his friends on the other side and for that reason seeks new agreements that can help him pay his bill, while taking advantage of the situation.
It is in this context that he makes several deals, and among them is the promise he made to Naveen, as the young man ends up turning into a frog when he believes that the arrangement with Dr. Facilier would help him to fulfill his dream.
At the time of negotiation, there is the villain’s first musical number and in this scene it is already possible to notice a brief similarity between one pose and another, with one of the most famous artists of all time: Michael Jackson. Look!
The resemblance is not a mere coincidence, since according to The Things, the king of pop’s dance style served as a mirror for the realization of the villain’s musical numbers, as well as his appearance, since the tall and thin figure was modeled by Disney animators from the images of jackson.
Other inspirations
Taking into account that the film is set in the 1920s in New Orleans, one of the highlights is the musical style that permeates the plot: Jazz. Thus, one of the great figures of this artistic manifestation is also present in the plot and was used to build the villain’s personality.
This artist, as Fandom points out, was the legendary jazz singer, Cab Calloway, which in addition to its unique way of performing, shares physical similarities with the character, such as the mustache for example. Check out!
Still, the character creation process relied on one last major reference to the style of voodoo used: Baron Samedi.
Baron Samedi is a much feared spirit of the Haitian voodoo religion, that is, he is a loa of the dead, along with countless other incarnations of the Baron. The entity’s representations show great similarities with Dr.Facilier, which can be seen through the elements that make up his way of dressing, such as the use of a top hat, for example.
Source: Recreio
