Who J.J. Abrams Based One Star Wars: The Force Awakens Character On

You might not guess it immediately, but some of the outlandish characters that populate the far, far away galaxy of J.J. Abrams' Star Wars: The Force Awakens have origins that can be found startlingly close to home. For instance, while working on the script, the writer and director found inspiration for the diminutive, venerable Maz Kanata in the most unlikely source: his high school English teacher. In a recent interview, the mastermind behind the massive hit (The Force Awakens has, as of today...