Cruella de Vil

### Inspiration

Character of the same name from Dodie Smith's novel, The Hundred and One Dalmatians book series

### Voiced/Portrayed by

Betty Lou Gerson (original film)April Winchell (TV series and 101 Dalmatians: Escape from DeVil Manor)Tress MacNeille (TV series; "Close But No Cigar" and "The Fungus Among Us" only)Susanne Blakeslee (1998–present)Barbara Goodson (Disney on Ice)Michelle Gomez (101 Dalmatian Street)

### Personality

Chic, sarcastic, ambitious, greedy, relentless, rude, reckless, psychotic, decadent, egotistical, bipolar, selfish, short-tempered, cruel, ruthless, sadistic, glamorous, obnoxious, insane, obsessive, impatient, suspicious, failure-intolerant, pompous, vengeful, destructive, murderous, careless, violent

### Loves/Likes

Furs, smoking, money, spots, getting her way, fashion, attention, art, puppies (formerly)

### Hates/Dislikes

Not getting her way, Jasper and Horace's incompetence, dogs, babies

### Goal

To kill 99 Dalmatian puppies to use their fur for a coat (failed)

### Allies

Anita Radcliffe (formerly), Lars (formerly), Jasper and Horace

### Enemies

Pongo, Perdita, Roger Radcliffe, Anita Radcliffe, Nanny, the Dalmatian puppies, Patch, Lucky, Rolly, Cadpig, Spot Chicken, Dipstick, Dottie, Lars, Jasper and Horace, Thunderbolt, Hunter De Vil

### Relatives

Malevola De Vil (mother)Ivy De Vil (niece)Coup De Vil (uncle)Cecil B. De Vil (brother)P.H. De Vil (cousin)Judge Dimsdale De Vil (ancestor)Hunter De Vil (great-nephew)

### Qoute

"Anita, darling!""I'll get even! Just wait! You'll be sorry, You fools! You idiots!"(about the pups) "Poison them, drown them, bash them on the heads!"

**Cruella De Vil** is the main antagonist in Walt Disney's 1961 animated film "101 Dalmatians."

She is a wealthy, fashion-obsessed heiress who wishes to use the skins of 99 Dalmatian puppies to create a fur coat.

She first appeared in the novel, *The Hundred and One Dalmatians* (1956) by Dodie Smith. Perhaps the most famous incarnation of the character was developed for Disney's 1961 animated adaptation, *One Hundred and One Dalmatians* by story man Bill Peet and animator Marc Davis. The Disney villainess proved successful and has led to appearances in other media, most notably the *Disney Villains* franchise, of which Cruella is a primary member.

## Background

Cruella is an old school friend of Anita Radcliffe, and a glamor-obsessed heiress who claims that she cannot live without furs. She hires Horace and Jasper Badun, two incompetent crooks, to steal Pongo and Perdita's 15 Dalmatian puppies, and buys eighty-four more through legitimate means.

Unlike previous Disney villainesses such as the Evil Queen, Lady Tremaine, the Queen of Hearts, and Maleficent, Cruella is not a schemer nor does she have any powers. Instead, she acts purely on impulse and is thus prone to reckless behavior, particularly tearing through the snowy landscape in her car. Unlike future versions of the character, this version of Cruella was seemingly invincible in the eyes of the Dalmatians, who, though they could just about be able to keep Jasper and Horace Badun at bay, were unable to face "that devil woman". Their only hope was therefore to flee; Cruella's defeat in the film is brought about not through the deeds of the animals but her own stubborn relentlessness (which, by the end of the film, has seemingly degenerated into a mad fury), and the incompetence of her henchmen.

### Personality

Cruella is known to be mean and rude, frequently barging into other people's homes unannounced and openly disrespecting others. She adores attention, but looks down on others, showing no sympathy or concern for anyone's well-being.

She is also greedy and selfish, and adores high fashion and art. Her interest in fashion revolves around furs from animals, particularly fur coats, as she is always seen wearing one. As a result, Cruella often seeks animals to help her with making coats. Upon learning that Perdita has had puppies, Cruella attempted to buy them from Roger, showing no concern for the puppies themselves, having already purchased eighty-four puppies legally. The reason for her obsession is because the spots will make her fur coats more popular, meaning she'll get more money. Her interest in spots runs so deep she turned to Lars after seeing his painting of spots, as a way to substitute her obsession.

Cruella is known to be short-tempered. She gets annoyed with Jasper and Horace's foolishness, and throws a tantrum when things don't go her way. Her anger seems to be a problem, as it makes her reckless and impulsive, as she drove her car recklessly after the Dalmatians but ended up crashing her car into a ravine. She may also be bipolar, as she is prone to psychotic fits, her reckless driving being a prime example. This happened again when she tried to capture the puppies in London, only to end up in an institution. However, she did seemed to be a slightly reasonable woman, as she attempted twice to convince Anita to sell Cruella her puppies, only choosing to steal them when it became clear it was the only way for her to get the puppies.

### Physical Appearance

Cruella is an extremely thin woman that appears to almost look skeletal in appearance around the curves, with pale skin and red lips. She has green eyes and eyelids. She has hair that reaches to her shoulders; two halves of her hair are of different colors, with the right side being black and the left side being white.

Cruella's usual attire is a simple black dress, red high heel shoes and black stockings, red opera gloves, large turquoise earrings and ring on her right hand, a cream fur coat with red interior and a matching purse with three foxtails.