Join or Sign In

Continue with Facebook Continue with email

By joining TV Guide, you agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy.

Walt Disney Biography

Birth Name:Walter Elias Disney

Birth Place:Chicago, Illinois, United States

Profession Producer, Actor, Director, Soundtrack, Writer, Animation department, Camera department, Production manager

Fast Facts

In 2000, he was posthumously inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame for his work on the multiplane camera
Met Lillian Bounds in 1925 after hiring her as an ink-and-paint artist, and after courting briefly, the couple married
Started as a photographer and cartoonist for his high school's newspaper during World War I
Opened his own animation business, hiring former ad agency coworker Fred Harman and producing cartoon shorts called "Laugh-O-Grams" that were streamed at local theaters
Tried to join the army at 16, but was rejected because of his age, so he instead joined the Red Cross and drove an ambulance in France for a year
Quote: "All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them․"
Quote: "I would rather entertain and hope that people learned something than educate people and hope they were entertained․"
A pioneer of animated films, one of his best known cartoon characters is Mickey Mouse
Known for producing happy endings in his films
Known for creating characters who display white, four-fingered gloves
Released the first full-length animated film, "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs," in 1937
Was the original voice of Mickey Mouse in "Steamboat Willie․"
Based his idea for Disneyland on the Tivoli park in Denmark

Awards

1932Oscar-Best Short Subject, Cartoons: nominated
1932Oscar-Best Short Subject, Cartoons: winner
1934Oscar-Best Short Subject, Cartoons: nominated
1934Oscar-Best Short Subject, Cartoons: winner
1935Oscar-Best Short Subject, Cartoons: winner
1935Best Animation-: winner
1936Oscar-Best Short Subject, Cartoons: nominated
1936Special Recommendation-Animated Film: winner
1937Oscar-Best Short Subject, Cartoons: winner
1938Oscar-Best Short Subject, Cartoons: winner
1938Special Award-: winner
1938Photoplay Award-Best Performances of the Month (December): winner
1938Grand Biennale Art Trophy-: winner
1939Honorary Award-: winner
1939Oscar-Best Short Subject, Cartoons: nominated
1939Oscar-Best Short Subject, Cartoons: winner
1939Oscar-Best Short Subject, Cartoons: nominated
1940Oscar-Best Short Subject, Cartoons: nominated
1940Special Award-: winner
1940Photoplay Award-Best Performances of the Month (April): winner
1942Honorary Award-: winner
1942Oscar-Best Short Subject, Cartoons: winner
1942Oscar-Best Short Subject, Cartoons: nominated
1943Oscar-Best Short Subject, Cartoons: winner
1943Oscar-Best Documentary: nominated
1943Oscar-Best Documentary: nominated
1944Oscar-Best Short Subject, Cartoons: nominated
1946Oscar-Best Short Subject, Cartoons: nominated
1947Oscar-Best Short Subject, Cartoons: nominated
1948Oscar-Best Short Subject, Cartoons: nominated
1948Oscar-Best Short Subject, Cartoons: nominated
1948Special Award-: winner
1948International Award - Animated Film-: winner
1949Oscar-Best Short Subject, Two-reel: winner
1949Oscar-Best Short Subject, Cartoons: nominated
1949Golden Lion-: nominated
1950Oscar-Best Short Subject, Cartoons: nominated
1950Special Jury Prize-: winner
1951Oscar-Best Short Subject, Two-reel: winner
1952Oscar-Best Short Subject, Cartoons: nominated
1953Oscar-Best Short Subject, Two-reel: winner
1953Gold Medal-Special Award: winner
1954Oscar-Best Short Subject, Cartoons: winner
1954Oscar-Best Short Subject, Two-reel: winner
1954Oscar-Best Short Subject, Two-reel: nominated
1954Oscar-Best Documentary, Features: winner
1954Grand Prize of the Festival-: nominated
1954Special Award-: winner
1955Oscar-Best Short Subject, Two-reel: nominated
1955Oscar-Best Documentary, Features: winner
1955Oscar-Best Short Subject, Cartoons: nominated
1956David-Best Foreign Production (Migliore Produzione Straniera): winner
1956Primetime Emmy-Best Producer - Film Series: winner
1957Oscar-Best Short Subject, Two-reel: nominated
1958Oscar-Best Short Subject, Cartoons: nominated
1960Oscar-Best Documentary, Short Subjects: nominated
1960Oscar-Best Short Subject, Live Action Subjects: nominated
1960Oscar-Best Short Subject, Cartoons: nominated
1961Oscar-Best Short Subject, Live Action Subjects: nominated
1962Oscar-Best Short Subject, Cartoons: nominated
1963Oscar-Best Short Subject, Cartoons: nominated
1965Oscar-Best Picture: nominated
1965Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Program Achievements in Entertainment: nominated
1966Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Children's Program: nominated
1987Special Award-: winner
2023Crystal Bear-Generation Kplus - Best Film: nominated