The Incredibles and Linda Hunt

[KellyNY]

Hi everyone,

I was watching The Incredibles with my DD for probably the 100th time, we really love it. one of our favorite characters ever is Edna. I told my DD that she was inspired by Linda Hunt, I was even sure she was the voice. My DD had no idea who I am even talking about and I googled the actress. To my surprise, The Incredibles was not in her filmography and I cross referenced cartoon to fund out that the voice was of director(man) and no hint about Linda Hunt. I started to look for anything on line on the subject and found that Edna was sort of based on some designer who lived in the begining of 20th century. I checked pictures and they do not look even close. The designer got very long face and long nose, the only slight resemblence is bangs, which was popular at that time and glasses(wrong shape however). On the other hand Linda Hunt looks exactly like Edna, same head/face shape, same nose, lips, same hair, same height, same shape and color of glasses. I wondering how could they possibly use someones likeness like that and not to mention anywhere, is it even legal. Wonder if someone heard something. I know it is been 5 years since The Incredibles and here, now I am talking about the issue, but I never even questioned who Edna is, till yesterday.

To moderators, I know this thread does not belong on parks and strategies board but I do not know where to place it, so please move it accordingly, thank you.

 

[TDC Nala]

A character can be based on a real person as long as the character is fictionalized. If the person in question is a public figure, their right to privacy is much harder to defend than that of a person who is not a public figure. If the person is dead, there isn't one, I think unless the image of the person is used for monetary gain without the permission of their heirs or estate.

 

[perdidobay]

As I understand it, Edna's character was based on Edith Head the designer, who IMHO does resemble the character.

Linda Hunt

Brad Bird, who directed the Incredibles and also wrote the script, is the voice of Edna. He mentioned in an interview that he was also thinking of Linda Hunt when he created Edna. And I do think Edna looks like a cross of the two women.

 

[KellyNY]

As I understand it, Edna's character was based on Edith Head the designer, who IMHO does resemble the character.

Linda Hunt

Brad Bird, who directed the Incredibles and also wrote the script, is the voice of Edna. He mentioned in an interview that he was also thinking of Linda Hunt when he created Edna. And I do think Edna looks like a cross of the two women.

I did not see interview on line. So if he saw of Linda Hunt why not to let her to be a voice, just would be logical if you ask me, althought it was amazing to find out the voice belongs to a man. I guess Edna is the most complex cartoon character I ever came across. Still wondering did he got permission to use her likeness since he admitted, even if it was partial likeness. I am not familiar with laws, just wondering.

 

[Mr. Pig]

I had read that they were looking for someone to do the voice but Brad Bird, who designed the character, did it so well they decided to go with him. They figured, why bring in another voice actor when you have what you want.

 

[perdidobay]

From the wikipedia page on Edna Mode:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edna_Mode

[edit] Character design
Director Brad Bird has stated that he intended E to be a combination fashion maven/gadget builder along the lines of 'Q' from the James Bond movies. The character is voiced by Bird himself.

The character Edna Mode may be based on real-life fashion designer Edith Head. Edna's hairstyle, ultra-diminutive stature, and facial features also resemble actress Linda Hunt's fashion editor character Regina Krumm, in Robert Altman's 1994 film Prêt-à-Porter as well as actress Linda Hunt herself, in fact. Brad Bird has said:

“ we certainly looked at Edith Head. But there are actually a lot of female fashion designers, if you research it, that have giant glasses. But also, Patricia Highsmith was an influence. She wrote "The Talented Mister Ripley" ... Linda Hunt. When you're designing a character, you're just saying - who is that? We have drawings and you can see them in "the art of ..." book where she's taller and fatter and older and younger and thin. We tried a lot of stuff and we kept saying no, no, more like this, but I like the nose on this one, and maybe the pageboy cut, maybe glasses should be bigger. Okay, make 'em bigger... and you end up with something that reminds you of Edith Head and you of Linda Hunt.[1]
The article goes on to mention other fashion designers that may also be inspiration for Edna's character.

As to the legality of making a character resemble someone living, it's done all the time, and I'd think it would be no problem as long as the character is not named the same as the living person.

 

[KellyNY]

From the wikipedia page on Edna Mode:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edna_Mode

[edit] Character design
Director Brad Bird has stated that he intended E to be a combination fashion maven/gadget builder along the lines of 'Q' from the James Bond movies. The character is voiced by Bird himself.

The character Edna Mode may be based on real-life fashion designer Edith Head. Edna's hairstyle, ultra-diminutive stature, and facial features also resemble actress Linda Hunt's fashion editor character Regina Krumm, in Robert Altman's 1994 film Prêt-à-Porter as well as actress Linda Hunt herself, in fact. Brad Bird has said:

“ we certainly looked at Edith Head. But there are actually a lot of female fashion designers, if you research it, that have giant glasses. But also, Patricia Highsmith was an influence. She wrote "The Talented Mister Ripley" ... Linda Hunt. When you're designing a character, you're just saying - who is that? We have drawings and you can see them in "the art of ..." book where she's taller and fatter and older and younger and thin. We tried a lot of stuff and we kept saying no, no, more like this, but I like the nose on this one, and maybe the pageboy cut, maybe glasses should be bigger. Okay, make 'em bigger... and you end up with something that reminds you of Edith Head and you of Linda Hunt.[1]
The article goes on to mention other fashion designers that may also be inspiration for Edna's character.

As to the legality of making a character resemble someone living, it's done all the time, and I'd think it would be no problem as long as the character is not named the same as the living person.

Thanks for article, I'm still reading, Edna is more complex then I even thought.
As for resemblence issues, I saw cartoon characters looks like those who does voices and it is acceptable since they get paid anyway. Not sure about this paticular situation, but again if they were inspired by so many different people, not sure how I even feel about it.

 

[bumbershoot]

I had read that they were looking for someone to do the voice but Brad Bird, who designed the character, did it so well they decided to go with him. They figured, why bring in another voice actor when you have what you want.

Which Pixar does quite often. Linguini (and Dash's school teacher in The Incredibles) is an employee. Joe Ranft (Wheezy, Heimlich, a few more) too. I've said that I'd love to be *any* sort of employee there, so I stood a chance at getting something like that (otherwise their voice casting is done through disney...and, well, from hearing someone read their story on NPR, like Violet's voice!).

As for resemblence issues, I saw cartoon characters looks like those who does voices and it is acceptable since they get paid anyway. Not sure about this paticular situation, but again if they were inspired by so many different people, not sure how I even feel about it.

From the extra stuff on Kung Fu Panda (I know, not Disney or Pixar!) I saw Lucy Liu talk about how she didn't expect them to use her face, even though she knew they were filming her...many times the faces match the people simply because the voice is created with the same facial movements that make up the person...hard to get the mouth movements without the face going along.

 

[KellyNY]

Which Pixar does quite often. Linguini (and
From the extra stuff on Kung Fu Panda (I know, not Disney or Pixar!) I saw Lucy Liu talk about how she didn't expect them to use her face, even though she knew they were filming her...many times the faces match the people simply because the voice is created with the same facial movements that make up the person...hard to get the mouth movements without the face going along.

True. With new technologies it is going to be even more like in Avatar.