Burny Mattinson was more than just an animator, he was a director, an actor, a producer, a story artist and an Oscar nominee.
Disney broke the news on Feb 27, via their official Twitter, that the Disney Legend sadly passed away at Canyon Oaks Nursing and Rehabilitation Home Centre in California, aged 87.
Mattinson worked with Disney for 70 years and was due to receive the company’s first-ever 70th-anniversary service award in June.
The majority of Mattinson’s credits were in the art and animation department, working on all-time classics like Lady and the Tramp (1955), The Jungle Book (1967) and The Rescuers (1977), and more recent outings like Big Hero 6 (2014) and Strange World (2022). His career also included various forays into the writing department, having penned the screenplays for classics like The Fox and the Hound (1981) and The Great Mouse Detective (1986), as well as more recent projects like The Lion King (1994), Pocahontas (1995), and, my personal favourite, Mulan (1998).
Burny Mattinson’s most recent credits are in the art and animation department for projects like Strange World featuring Jake Gyllenhaal (Nightcrawler) and the beloved Big Hero 6.
Mattinson is also responsible for returning Mickey Mouse to the big screen for the first time in 30 years, back in the 1983’s Mickey’s Christmas Carol, an animated featurette, which earned him an Oscar nomination for Best Animated Short Film.
Chief Creative Officer of Walt Disney Animation Studios, Jennifer Lee, commented on Mattinson’s historic career and legacy:
“Burny’s artistry, generosity, and love of Disney Animation and the generations of storytellers that have come through our doors, for seven decades, has made us better—better artists, better technologists, and better collaborators. All of us who have had the honor to know him and learn from him will ensure his legacy carries on.”
We wish the best to Mattinson’s family and are incredibly grateful for the amazing projects and legacy he has left behind.
