15 Great TV Characters Based on Real People (PHOTOS)

The (mis)adventures of Piper Chapman (Taylor Schilling) and her fellow on Netflix's beloved Orange is the New Black quickly became a pop culture phenomenon. But her wild story is based on the real experiences of Piper Kerman, who wrote a memoir that shares the show's title. While some of the story has changed for TV, the crime that landed OITNB's Piper behind bars matched the real-life one: drug smuggling. "It was a reckless and selfish time in my life," Kerman once said.   

The scandalous -- and badass -- Olivia Pope (Kerry Washington) on the hit series Scandal was inspired by the real life of Judy Smith, crisis manager to the powers that be. Show creator Shonda Rhimes was so captivated by the lawyer's life that she built the series around it. Still, Olivia has done some things Smith never did -- like sleeping with the POTUS. "No. Across the board, no," she once said. 

The infamous Lucious Lyon (played by Terrance Howard), the criminal-turned-music mogul on Empire, was partly based on the life of former drug peddler and music mogul Jay Z. "The Jay Z story...very much inspired Lucious Lyon," show writer Danny Strong has said. 

Nutty neighbor Cosmo Kramer from the classic sitcom Seinfeld sure knew how to make an entrance. The memorable character played by Michael Richards is based on comedian Kenny Kramer, who was show creator Larry David's neighbor, just as it plays out in the series. 

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As a rational-minded forensic anthropologist and liberated woman who specializes in bones and fights crime alongside an FBI partner, Temperance Brennan (played by Emily Deschanel) is a rare complex female TV character. Even more awesome is the fact that she's based on forensic anthropologist, academic and crime novel author Kathy Reichs, who is a producer on the show. 

Casually ruthless crime boss Nucky Thompson (played by Steve Buscemi) on Boardwalk Empire is based on the real life gangster Enoch L. "Nucky" Johnson. He was the face of organized crime in Atlantic City's Prohibition-era heyday, and as the show's protagonist, lost his wife to tuberculosis. 

The lovable, bubbly animated character Betty Boop was inspired by Helen Kane. While Kane looks quite similar to the cute character, known for her baby voice and "Boop oop a doop" signature line, some insist she stole the swag from an African-American singer named Ester Jones after seeing her perform in 1928. 

Oscar-winning actress Patricia Arquette (pictured at left, on the right) plays Allison Dubois on the hit series Medium, which is based on the real life of an Arizona psychic by the same name. Arquette's Emmy Award-winning performance is based on Dubois' book entitled "Don't Kiss Them Good-Bye." 

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Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar is, many say, verey accurately portrayed by actor Wagner Moura on the hit Netflix series Narcos. Escobar has been the subject of many a documentary and film, but there's something about Moura's portrayal that hits the nail on the head. In fact, it's a role he's been preparing for his entire life without even knowing it. As a teen, he read "everything that was written about Pablo."

Under the hip hop outfits and clear sunglasses worn by doltish fake gangsta character Ali G on Da Ali G Show, comedian Sacha Baron Cohen was able to ask ridiculous questions of even the most serious politician duped into sitting down to an interview.  Cohen has said that outspoken British BBC Radio 1 DJ Tim Westwood, who helped to popularize hip hop and rap in the U.K. in the 1980s, was an inspiration for the controversial character. 

The lovable Chuckie on Rugrats got his fashion sense from former Devo band member Mark Mothersbaugh. The musician composed the music for the show and shared the same glass-wearing charm as the animated baby. 

The intractable "Soup Nazi" from Seinfeld, who would yell "No soup for you!" at customers who fell short of his expectations, was based on a man named Ali ("Al") Yeganeh, who ran an actual soup shop in New York. Yeganeh hated the fictionalized version of himself.

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The genius, socially awkward Abed Nadir on Community is loosely based on showrunner Dan Harmon's friend Abed Gheith. Before Danny Pudi landed the part, Harmon was campaigning for Gheith to get it. 

Don Draper (played by Jon Hamm) on Mad Men got his name from Draper Daniels, a Chicago advertising executive who created the famous Marlboro Man campaign during the 1950s. Like Draper, the real man was also a charmer with the ladies. 

Rocko's Modern Life creator Joe Murray described the lead character as a 20-year-old male scrub wallaby, who was "a young anthromorphic Woody Allen, who has just moved away from home into a surrealistic adult world."