A beloved Disney animator known for his work on Lady and the Tramp, The Lion King and other classics, died after 70 years at the company.
Burny Mattinson, 87, was known as the longest-serving employee at The Walt Disney Company before he passed from an undisclosed illness in Los Angeles on Monday, the company announced.
Mattinson would’ve received an award in June for his 70th year of service at the company and previously recalled every day at Disney being like his first.
‘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,’ Jennifer Lee, chief creative officer, wrote in a grieving statement.
At the time of his death, he worked full-time as a story consultant and mentor to pass on his legacy to modern films.
Burny Mattinson, 87, was known as the longest-serving employee at The Walt Disney Company before he passed from an undisclosed illness in Los Angeles on Monday
Mattinson is known for his work on Lady and the Tramp, The Lion King and other classics. He worked at the company for 70 years
Born in 1935, Mattinson once recalled the moment he watched Pinocchio in theaters at the age of six and instantly knew he wanted to work for Disney.
‘Ever since I saw that film, this was my dream – to work in this business,’ Mattinson previously said, according to the Walt Disney Company. ‘So, I worked every day, drawing.’
At the age of 12, he mastered famous Disney graphics and built his portfolio leading up to when he applied to work for the company after he graduated high school.
Mattinson’s legacy at the company started with one of his first classics in 1955, Lady and the Tramp. He later went on to work on One Hundred and One Dalmatians, the Rescuers and more.
The animation mastermind helped cultivate beloved films that serve as cherished childhood memories for several people.
He also worked on the story teams for the films Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, Pocahontas, Tarzan, Mulan and The Hunchback of Notre Dame.
‘He literally did everything that could be done at the studio—assistant animator, animator, story artist, producer, and director of many films that made an indelible mark on our collective appreciation of the Disney ethos,’ animator Eric Goldberg wrote in a statement.
One of his first projects he worked alone on was the cherished film Mickey’s Christmas Carol released in 1983.
Mattinson started at Disney around the age of 18. He initially worked in the mail room before moving up as an animator
The animation mastermind helped cultivate beloved films that serve as cherished childhood memories for several people. Pictured: a scene from The Lion King
His desire to work at Disney started when he was a six-years-old. He mastered generic Disney graphics by the time he was 12. Pictured: The Jungle Book film Mattinson worked on
Mattinson also worked on One Hundred and One Dalmatians which was released in 1961
Several of Mattinson’s colleagues recalled being blown away and inspired by his creativity
Mattinson wasn’t immediately an animator for the company, but his journey started around the age of 18 when he drove to the Disney studio in Burbank with his portfolio.
He was then interviewed and hired for a job in the mailroom for six months before working on production for the Lady and the Tramp. He also worked alongside Walt Disney himself before the iconic mastermind behind the company died in 1966.
‘He was also, when he started, traffic boy to Walt, giving Walt his weekly spending cash,’ Goldberg said.
Slowly, he built his way up in the company without any formal art training.
Later in his career, Mattinson worked as a mentor to pass along his creativity to younger employees creating new Disney films.
Goldberg recalled working with Mattinson for the first time on the film Aladdin and being blown away by his creativity.
‘His storyboards were beautifully acted and wonderfully atmospheric, which I first encountered when I joined the studio for Aladdin,’ Goldberg said.
‘The more I saw of his work, the more I became in awe of his breadth of talent. I value his cheerful friendship and lasting inspiration to me and so many other animation artists. He will be missed, but not forgotten.’
Mattinson would’ve received an award in June for his 70th year of service at the company and previously recalled every day at Disney being like his first
The movie Pinocchio inspired him to want to work for Disney when he was merely six-years-old. He once recalled the day his mom took him to the theater to watch the film
In 2008, Mattinson earned the title of a Disney Legend after spending decades at the company. He initially broke the record as the longest working employee in 2018 following Disney artist John Hench who spent more than 64 years at the company.
While Mattinson was well passed retirement age, he continued to work for the joy of it.
‘I mean, 50 years is a long time, but I still feel like that 18-year-old kid that came here back in ’53, you know? I never feel like I’ve gotten old,’ he previously said in response to spending more than half a century at the company.
The iconic animator left behind his wife Ellen Siirola, and their two kids and grandkids.
