Among the Disney villains, Cruell De Ville is one of the few who did not try to harm anyone for revenge. Her fanatical goal was Dalmatian puppies, from which she intended to make a designer coat or a fur coat. Although for this she had to sweep everything in her path, it can hardly be called the most evil cartoon heroine.
Cruella De Ville in the cartoon
Cruella's story appeared in Disney's seventeenth animated film. And she is rightfully recognized as the most stylish and fashionable villain who has ever appeared on the screen. Her appearance is a mixture of extravagance, brightness and model thinness.
A small black dress, a white fur coat, red gloves above the elbow, red shoes - a recognizable image. Always extraordinary make-up and choice of accessories. But the most interesting in her appearance is the hairstyle. Half of the head is painted black, half in white.
Cruella De Ville is not named so by chance. Cruella - from English cruel - cruel. And if you combine her surname into one word Devil - then it translates as the Devil.
There is one more “devilish” reference in the cartoon. The estate where Cruella was located was called Hell Hall, which translates as “Infernal Estate”. Gothic building, despite its age, is very well preserved. The castle was built far from people, on the outskirts, and is hidden by branchy trees, reminiscent of bony hands in the dark. It was in this house that Cruella De Ville lived. Photos of the Hell Manor can be seen below.
Once upon a time, in a Fairytail
At that moment, when no one was waiting for new details about the shocking villain, the season of the fantastic series Once Upon a Time came out, where Cruella became the main character.
The disclosure of new details, interesting facts, what remains behind the scenes in cartoons and fairy tales, this is the main essence of the series “Once Upon a Time”. Cruella De Ville in the series becomes even crazier. At first, everyone begins to sympathize with the poor girl, locked by her own mother in the attic of the house. However, Cruella's craziness soon crossed all borders.
The beginning of the storyline with Cruella is the beginning of the struggle of three famous villains: Ursula, Maleficent and Miss De Ville. Having united their forces, they invited the powerful magician Rumpelstiltskin to join their team and fight in battle against the good heroes.
In the 18 episode 4 of the season, Cruella De Ville completely captures the attention of the audience. This episode tells the full story from childhood to the present. Interestingly, Adam Horowitz and Eddie Kitsis, the creators of the series, supplemented the story with a story about the heroine’s unusual hairstyle.
To the disappointment of the fans, Cruella quickly left the project. However, in season 5, she appeared in several episodes. And while it is not known whether we will see her again.
Victoria Smurfit
Someone has a dream to play a good character, and someone sees himself as a villain with the name of Cruell De Ville. Actress Victoria Smurfit has repeatedly said in an interview that the Once Upon a Time project gave her the opportunity to make her dream a reality.
When agent Victoria said that she had been sent an invitation to test the series, Victoria was delighted, although she did not even know what role she was offered. After passing the tests, she talked with the creators, and, finally, having the courage, she decided to clarify what kind of heroine she would play. Upon learning that her role is De Ville, Victoria was in shock. After all, most recently, she passed tests for another film for this role and did not pass.
Smurfit has reviewed all films, feature films, animated series, and even short films with her character. And all this in order to get used to the role. And I must say, she managed it 100%. Victoria was able not only to turn her thinness into the bony de Ville, her facial expressions - into the typical expression of Cruella's face, she created her completely in the real world.
Creating an image of Cruella
To recreate Cruella's style took a lot of effort. The actress herself said that the creation of daily makeup was not only a long-term affair, but also sometimes funny. After all, at first I had to sit in a wig cap for more than an hour, and sometimes longer. While Victoria drew makeup, sharp features, bright eyebrows and much more, the actress watched the creation of a masterpiece not without horror. As she put it: "At first I looked like a man, and only then on my favorite fan of puppies."
By the way, Smurfit also had a hand in creating some plot moments. Often, the scriptwriters did not hand out a manuscript of future scenes, so the actress had to imagine the fate of Cruella and win back several options.
Interesting Facts
Cruella De Ville is an unusual person from a children's cartoon. And these facts are proof of this:
- Two full-length cartoons, two films with Glenn Close and an animated series were shot about Miss De Ville.
- At the time of the story, which is featured in films and cartoons, Cruell is 89 years old.
- Victoria Smerfit, who played Cruella in the series, wore a fur coat weighing 27 kilograms and hairpins 15 centimeters high.
- Smurfit loves the villain’s car and loves to “drive” it in her free time. Once she scared an actress playing Ursula with her fast ride.