Walt Disney
- Born
- 1901-12-05 (age 65)
- Died
- 1966-12-15 (aged 65) · 59 years ago
- Birthplace
- Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
- Occupation
- Film Producer, Voice Actor, Entrepreneur, Illustrator, Television Producer, Showman, Screenwriter, Director
- Active
- 1966 - 1966
- Spouse
- Lillian Bounds
- Alma Mater
- ["Kansas City Art Institute","Chicago Academy of Fine Arts","Chouinard Art Institute"]
- AKA
- Walter Elias Disney
Biography
EARLY LIFE
Walter Elias Disney was born on December 5, 1901, in Chicago, Illinois. He was the fourth son of Elias Disney, an Irish-Canadian, and Flora Call, an American of German and English descent. Raised on a farm near Marceline, Missouri, Walt developed an early interest in drawing. He took art classes as a boy, including at the Kansas City Art Institute and the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts. He attempted to join the United States Army in mid-1918 but was rejected as too young. He then joined the Red Cross as an ambulance driver, serving in France after the armistice.
CAREER
After returning to Kansas City in 1919, Disney began his career as an advertising cartoonist and eventually founded Laugh-O-Gram Studio. In 1923, he moved to Hollywood and, with his brother Roy, formed the Disney Brothers Studio (later The Walt Disney Company). He and Ub Iwerks developed Mickey Mouse in 1928, with Disney providing Mickey's voice until 1947. He pioneered synchronized sound and full-color Technicolor in animation. His studio produced successful feature-length animated films like Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937), Pinocchio (1940), Fantasia (1940), Dumbo (1941), and Bambi (1942). In the 1950s, Disney expanded into theme parks, opening Disneyland in Anaheim, California, in 1955. He also ventured into television with shows like 'Walt Disney's Disneyland' and 'The Mickey Mouse Club'. He was involved in planning for the 1959 Moscow Fair, 1960 Winter Olympics, and the 1964 New York World's Fair, and began development on Walt Disney World and the Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow (EPCOT) before his death. Walt Disney has partnered with African creators and distributors to bring content to the region, notably through the animated series Iwájú, a collaboration with Kugali Media set in Lagos, which aired on Disney Channel via DStv in 2024. Disney has also engaged in distribution deals with Nigerian firms like FilmOne to bring Hollywood titles to West Africa.
PERSONAL LIFE
Walt Disney married Lillian Bounds in July 1925. They had two daughters, Diane and Sharon (adopted). He was a shy and insecure man in private but maintained a warm public persona. Disney was a heavy smoker and died of lung cancer in 1966 at the age of 65. He grew more politically conservative over time, switching allegiance to the Republican Party in the 1940s and testifying before the House Un-American Activities Committee in 1947. Accusations of racism and antisemitism have been largely contradicted by those who knew him and by biographical research.
Filmography
No filmography available for this person yet.
Box Office
Weekly Top Grossing3 Cold Dishes
₦5,331,351.00
Gingerrr
₦12,727,775.00
Gingerrr
₦21,139,500.00
The Herd
₦16,977,673.00
3 Cold Dishes
₦15,261,240.00
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Popularity Score
Top 99% of African actors
