Rosie Inspirations - From Demoman to Robert Downey Jr

Rose "Rosie" MacClannough

This is a character of mine that went through a number of changes since the moment of her conception. Originally her name was "Rosie Payton McMurphy" and she was Irish. It was an ode to my boyfriend at the time (who was Irish) and to the character Randall Patrick McMurphy from my favorite movie, One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest (hence the initials and the last name). Now that the boyfriend is an ex, I decided to change her heritage from Irish to Scottish (especially after watching Brave) and then changed her last name.

As stated before, Rosie has gone through several changes. Originally she was more like the Demoman from Team Fortress 2 in every respect minus the fact that she was white, female, and had both eyes (this is purely coincidental if you can believe that). Everything from the drunken, swearing, wild, witty, and violently destructive behavior was identical to the Team Fortress character.

Eventually, I decided to give Rosie a bit more depth. Sure, she could be every bit as crazy and sloppy (and dangerous!) as The Demoman when she was intoxicated, but I gradually started to make her into something that had a little more charm. Sure she would look wild and spirited but I also wanted to make her into a character that could be fun and social at get togethers rather than obnoxious, I wanted to make her clever enough to be taken seriously when it counted, and I kind of liked the idea that maybe she could charm the pants off of your girlfriend. I liked the idea of making her talented (she can shred a guitar as good as any other rock star, probably was in a band at some point) and perhaps even gifted in certain areas (computers and technology).

 But it's hard to put together a character like that while keeping to her basic roots: she was going to always have a substance abuse problem (from alcohol to hard drugs) and she was always going to have street smarts (no real knowledge of martial arts, but could fight in the streets like a typical brawler). And I started wondering if there was anybody like that, fictional or real, that I could draw ideas from.

And then I remembered this guy...

...who later became this guy...

...and suddenly it just clicked. 

Robert Downey Jr. is this beautiful combination being eccentric, talented, flawed, charming, and yet still very real. He's a man who's been to prison for using hard drugs and yet released an album that can move anybody who listens to it. He can play the classy and brilliant Sherlock Holmes and then turn around and play a billionaire, playboy, genius, philanthropist superhero in Iron Man. 

Furthermore, he is a man who can turn his entire life around after making a series of horrible mistakes and save himself. Every picture you see of he and his wife feels genuine and beautiful. In the Inside The Actor's Studio interview, you can tell that there is a sincerity to everything he says. There is a playfulness about him, but one that you are drawn towards rather than repulsed by.

And who knows? It could all be his image. It could all be an act and I could be a sucker for eating it all up. But as far as I'm concerned, that image I have of him and that standard I hold him to is a good foundation to help develop one of my most beloved characters.

I like this idea of taking iconic male characters and changing nothing about them but their gender, just to see if people could still love that character despite the change in sex. Make no mistake, I do not want to make Rosie a complete Iron Man knock off. There are plenty of other characters and people that she has been based off of. But as a foundation for a character who has had opportunity, has fallen from grace, but was in an environment where all of these things were possible and believable, I think Robert Downey Jr. was the best example I could use. After all, celebrities and millionaires struggle with drugs and alcoholism the same as anybody in a lower class.

The more I think about Rosie's struggles, the more it would make sense to me if she was someone who was well off but slowly sabotaged herself over time, but rather turn her into a Lindsay Lohan or Paris Hilton, I'd rather she was someone whom people could still feel that attraction towards. Plus, I think it would be interest to see Robert Downey Jr.'s personality projected in someone who is supposed to look like this:

 And yes, that's Pink by the way.