Fans have been wondering for years who the character BoJack Horseman is based on, assuming there must be a real-life equivalent to the disgraced former comedy star from the Netflix series of the same name.
In a 2021 Reddit conversation, a fan stated, “I think that he’s real enough that the writers probably took inspiration from real celebrities’ struggles with a variety of mental health issues.”
Fans and that Reddit user discussed BoJack’s real-life analogs. However, is the talking horse genuinely modeled after a real person?
What did Fans Think about BoJack Horseman?
According to the aforementioned Reddit user, Tim Allen could be one of the real-life inspirations for BoJack because the sitcom Home Improvement from the 1990s and Horsin’ Around from BoJack have a similar tone.
Other Reddit users, however, had different opinions.
One individual commented on the thread, saying, “I’m pretty sure Bob Saget was the actual inspiration.”
“I always thought it was Charlie Sheen,” said a more admirer.
Robert Downey Jr. and Ben Affleck were proposed as potential inspirations by other Reddit members.
BoJack Horseman Character is Invented
Raphael Bob-Waksberg, the man behind BoJack Horseman, rejected the notion that BoJack is modeled after a single individual in a 2015 interview with Grantland.
The TV writer stated, “BoJack Horseman is not Tony Danza, Bob Saget, or John Stamos.” “He is a fictional character that draws inspiration from numerous personas.”
In 2018, Raphael stated to The New Yorker that the inspiration for the play came from his own experiences living in Los Angeles. “I think the origins of BoJack really started when I moved to Los Angeles for the first time and was staying in a house up in the Hollywood Hills that belonged to a friend of a friend,” the man stated.
“This tiny, tiny room in this beautiful house actually looked a lot like BoJack’s does, and it was like $400.”
During that period of his life, Raphael remembered “looking out over the city and feeling simultaneously on top of the world and also never more isolated or alone.” He then quickly got to work on the tale of “someone who’s had every opportunity for success but still can’t find a way to be happy” with cartoonist Lisa Hanawalt.
BoJack Horseman Influenced by Other Animated TV Shows
Rolling Stone published a story in 2018 where Raphael listed BoJack Horseman’s top ten animation influences.
For example, the hilarity and devastating humanity of the long-running Fox series The Simpsons influenced Raphael. He claimed comedy could be both “a danger” and “an incredible tool,” citing the 1988 movie Who Framed Roger Rabbit as evidence. Raphael also found the “caustic style” and protracted stories of the FX series Archer to be impressive.
Raphael’s style was influenced by even family-friendly movies like Pixar productions. According to him, “the Toy Story films get richer and richer with each film because you get to know these characters.” For me, having own show and developing it further is an intriguing prospect.
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