Getting the opportunity to work with Disney is a chance the few stars will pass up, as the studio has an amazing track record and an unparalleled history. Through the years, Disney has remained atop the business, and they have utilized some of the biggest stars in the world in their projects. Stars like Dwayne Johnson, Miley Cyrus, and Ellen DeGeneres have all voiced character for the studio.

During the 80s, The Little Mermaid was a huge success, and it started an era of great prosperity for the studio. Turns out, Disney looked to a television star for Ariel’s design, and the funny thing is that they didn’t even let her know about it until years later.

Let’s see how Disney used Alyssa Milano as a source of inspiration for Ariel!

Ariel Was Based On Alyssa Milano

Disney animators always have a tough task at hand whenever they are designing characters that are going to be featured on the big screen. Inspiration can come from a number of places, and for the character Ariel in The Little Mermaid, it was none other than Alyssa Milano that wound up being the basis for the character’s design.

According to FanPopGlen Keane was the man tasked with designing a character that could look modern while also maintaining the look of a traditional Disney princess. So, he looked at Alyssa Milano, who was cementing her place on the small screen, as a source of inspiration while dreaming up the character design.

Not only was Milano used as the basis for Ariel, but Keane actually worked with a live model, as well. That model was Sherri Stoner, who can also lay claim to having been part of the basis for Ariel’s design. Disney animators have been known to go to great lengths for their work, and Glen would also look at classic artwork to help get the look of Ariel just right.

Now, it is clear that Sherri Stoner had an idea of what was going on, given the fact that she was used as a live model. However, some people may be surprised to learn that Alyssa Milano didn’t know a single thing about this until she was much, much older.

Related: Why Did It Take Disney 14 Years To Work On ’The Incredibles’ Sequel?

The Actress Had No Idea

Alyssa Milano may not have known a thing about being the basis for Ariel, but she would eventually find out as an adult after she was asked to host a show about the making of the timeless animated feature.

She would tell Wendy Williams, “I didn’t know that when it was going on, but they asked me to host the making of ‘The Little Mermaid’ and it came out there that the drawing and likeness of The Little Mermaid was based on pictures of me from when I was younger, which is so cool.”

Talk about an interesting way to learn something about yourself! Milano obviously got to see how popular the movie had become through the years, and it must have felt flattering to learn that this famous Disney character was designed to look like you when you were a child star on the small screen.

With that knowledge in mind, Alyssa Milano can now see what The Little Mermaid wound up becoming and have a sense of satisfaction and some serious bragging rights.

Related: How Disney’s ‘Treasure Planet’ Went From Box Office Bomb To Cult Classic

The Film Became A Classic

The Little Mermaid is one of the most popular movie in Disney history, and it is the film responsible for kicking off the Disney Renaissance, which was a period that saw the studio return to its glory days.

After years of slumping and not being what they once were, Disney hit a grand slam with The Little Mermaid and kicked off an era filled with one timeless classic after the next. Movies like Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, The Lion King, and more are all part of this unique era, and it all got started with The Little Mermaid.

Through the years, Ariel has remained one of Disney’s biggest characters, and she is just as popular now as she was when she made her debut in the 80s. She is regularly featured on merchandise, has her own ride in Disney parks, and is a Halloween costume choice for kids each year. Turns out, these kids had no idea that they were subsequently dressing up to look like a young Alyssa Milano.

Related: 10 Actors We Completely Forgot Were On Disney Channel

Disney’s use of Alyssa Milano for Ariel’s design wound up being a stroke of genius, and while it took the actress years to learn the truth, we imagine that she is totally okay with it.

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