| Andreas Deja | |
|---|---|
 At the 35th Annie Awards in 2006 |
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| Born | 1957 Gdańsk, Poland |
| Occupation | Animator |
| Years active | 1980–present |
Andreas Deja (born April 1, 1957[citation needed]), is an animator for Walt Disney Animation Studios most noted for creating feature film characters such as Hercules from Hercules and Gaston from Beauty and the Beast. Deja is a recipient of the Winsor McCay Award.
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Life and career
Andreas Deja was born 1957 in Gdańsk, Poland. Deja moved with his family to Dinslaken, Germany in 1958. After graduating from Theodor-Heuss Gymnasium (secondary school), he studied graphic design at the Folkwang Hochschule in Essen, Germany. A lifelong fan of Disney animated films, Deja was hired by the studio in 1980 after he had corresponded with Eric Larson.[1] The first film on which he worked was The Black Cauldron, during which time he shared a cubicle with the film director Tim Burton.
During his rookie days at Disney, Deja sought mentorship and practical advice from seven of the then-living Nine Old Men (who were already retired before his tenure).[2] On an interview with Clay Katis on the Animation Podcast, Deja stated that if the podcast needed anything on the Nine Old Men, to refer to him because of the vast amount of information he has collected over the years. He later revealed that one of his ambitions is to publish one book for each of the Nine Old Men.
Deja is best known as the supervising animator of some of the most memorable Disney villains: Gaston from Beauty and the Beast, Jafar in Aladdin and Scar from The Lion King. He also animated Roger Rabbit from Who Framed Roger Rabbit, King Triton from The Little Mermaid, the title character from Hercules, Lilo from Lilo & Stitch, and Queen Narissa from Enchanted. In addition, he is the current resident specialist for the animation of Mickey Mouse.
In 2006, at the 35th Annie Awards, Deja was awarded the Winsor McCay Award for outstanding contribution to the art of animation.[3]
Animation Credits
- Gurgi - The Black Cauldron (1985)
- Queen Mousetoria - The Great Mouse Detective (1986)
- Roger Rabbit - Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)
- Character animator - Oliver & Company (1988)
- King Triton - The Little Mermaid (1989)
- Supervising animator - The Prince and the Pauper (1990)
- Gaston - Beauty and the Beast (1991)
- Jafar - Aladdin (1992)
- Scar - The Lion King (1994)
- Supervising animator, Mickey Mouse - Runaway Brain (1995)
- Adult Hercules - Hercules (1997)
- Animator on "Rhapsody in Blue" / Mickey Mouse - Fantasia 2000 (1999)
- Lilo - Lilo & Stitch (2002)
- Slim and Junior - Home on the Range (2004)
- Animation consultant - Mickey's Twice Upon a Christmas (2004)
- Animation consultant - Bambi 2 (2006)
- Queen Narissa - Enchanted (2007)
- Animator - How to Hook Up Your Home Theater (2007)
- Mama Odie - The Princess and the Frog (2009)
References
- ^ Ghez, Didier, Interview with Andreas Deja, Paris, January 1995
- ^ Andreas Deja : " ... If you take the drawing out of Disney, it just isn't Disney" Interview, Jim Hill Media, June 20, 2007
- ^ Winsor McCay Award, The Annie Awards, annieawards.org retrieved on 2008-10-26
External links
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