Don’t Look Up: Who are the characters based on?

Don’t Look Up’s main characters are believed to have been inspired by the Trump family, and Peter Isherwell is supposedly inspired by eccentric CEOs.

Don’t Look Up is the Netflix original film that premiered on the paid subscription platform in 2021. The Adam McKay directed film’s premise is, “Two low-level astronomers must go on a giant media tour to warn mankind of an approaching comet that will destroy planet Earth.”

The dark-comedy satirical film features a cast that is allegedly inspired by real-life characters. This includes the main cast, the Orlean family, which is believed to have been inspired by the Trump family in the time of Donald Trump’s presidency.

Furthermore, Peter Isherwell and the morning show hosts are supposedly inspired by real-life characters as well.

What Is The Meaning Of Don’t Look Up?

Don’t Look Up is a dark satirical comedy which, on the surface, is meant to draw laughs from those viewing it. However, thematically, the film conveys a more serious message.

These moments are when the film is not aiming to make viewers laugh, it showcases how even when the world is faced with the possibility of its tragic end, the people in power will attempt to deflect or capitalise on the graveness of the matter.

Therefore, the title is a metaphor for how people in power attempt to distract citizens with miscellaneous issues so that they don’t look up at the reality of the imminent destruction in the world.

Don’t Look Up: Who Are The Characters Based On?

When Don’t Look Up was released, critics suggested that the film was a flop. However, Netflix countered the narrative by sharing that upon its release, the film had amassed over 152 million viewing hours in the first week of its availability.

Therefore, the film may have not been a critical success initially, but it seemed to find favour with viewers.

Featuring a stellar cast of Academy winners and nominees, the main characters, Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence, played Dr. Randall Mindy and Kate Dibiasky, respectively. Most of the characters in the show are believed to have been inspired by real-life characters, similarly to how the film was “based on true events that haven’t happened yet.”

President Janie Orlean, played by the prolific Meryl Streep, is allegedly inspired by the former president, Donald Trump. Streep was uncanny in her characterisation, embodying sentiments and mannerisms shared and exuded by Trump during his presidency.

Firstly, President Orlean, like the former president, was a former reality star that was elected to the position. Moreover, President Orlean never really made any sense when she spoke, like when Trump spoke about climate change. At one point, Trump reportedly said, “Well, I don’t think the science knows, actually.”

But Orlean’s character also pulled inspiration from other recent American presidents in the portrayal of her photo ops with celebrities, similar to former president Barack Obama.

This can also been seen in the way she copied former president Bill Clinton’s folksy mannerisms, despite his feature in the film. Streep delivered a compelling and comical performance in Don’t Look Up.

Who is Jason Orlean based on?

Jason Orlean’s character, played by Jonah Hill, was corroborated by the fact that the Orlean family was based on the Trump family.

When he is first introduced in the world of the story, Jason is regarded as the “disinterested and arrogant White House chief of staff.” This is until we learn that he is actually President Orlean’s son. The revelations affirm the belief that Hill’s character is inspired by the amalgamation of the rumours surrounding Jared Kushner, Ivanka Trump, and Donald Trump Jr.

The film’s characterisation exploits allegations like Trump Jr’s alleged drug use, Trump’s strange obsession with Ivanka’s looks, and the fact that Kushner is regarded as Trump’s hype man, all of which are embodied in Jason.

Who is Peter Isherwell based on?

Peter Isherwell, played by actor, Mark Rylance, is allegedly an amalgamation of the most recent and popularly eccentric chief executive officers (CEOs), which, in recent years, have become versions of Hollywood stars.

Specifically, the character is believed to have been fashioned in the likeness of real-life CEOs like Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, and Jeff Bezos. This is evident when Isherwell is introduced as the tech-head who is set to introduce a technology that will control our lives more than ever before.

This suggestion closely mirrors Zuckerberg’s push for the introduction of his Meta technology.

Who are the morning show hosts based on?

Cate Blanchett and Tyler Perry played the characters of Brie Evantee and Jack Bremmer, respectively, the hosts of The Daily Rip; a morning current affairs and news show aimed at “keeping bad news light.”

Their characters were always jolly and light-hearted for this reason. These characters are believed to have been inspired by general morning talk show hosts and their upbeat manner when presenting stories, even serious ones.

Perry corroborated the sentiments when he revealed that he did ask friends who are morning show hosts for advice on his characterisation before playing Jack Bremmer.