Burny Mattinson Dies: Walt Disney Animation Legend & Disney’s Longest-Serving Member Was 87

Burny Mattinson Dies at 87. He was an animator for the Walt Disney Company who had been working with the company since 1953. Read More…

Disney’s Gem, Burny Mattinson Dies

On Tuesday, the company made an announcement that Burny Mattinson dies, who had been a long-standing employee. He was recognized as the company’s longest-serving cast member in its history and completed over 23,651 days of service. Mattinson passed away on Monday at the Canyon Oaks Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Canoga Park, California, after a brief illness.

When Mattinson was six years old, he watched Pinocchio at the studio and that experience convinced him to pursue a career in animation. From that moment on, he worked hard every day to fulfill his dream of working in the animation industry by drawing constantly. Years later, he reminisced about his childhood ambition, stating that watching Pinocchio was the moment he knew he wanted to work in animation.

After completing high school, he managed to persuade his mother to drop him off at the entrance of the studio, where he handed his portfolio to a security guard. The guard was impressed and decided to inform Ken Seiling, who was in charge of Personnel. Unfortunately, there were no vacancies in the studio’s animation department at the time, but Mattinson was able to secure a job in the traffic department. After six months, he eventually started working on Lady and the Tramp (1955).

The beginning of the career of a man who went on to become the longest-serving cast member in The Walt Disney Company‘s history was marked by his upcoming receipt of the company’s inaugural 70th-anniversary service award on June 6th.

On Tuesday, Jennifer Lee, the Chief Creative Officer of Walt Disney Animation Studios, stated that Burny’s talent in art, his generosity, and his admiration for Disney Animation, as well as the many storytellers who have worked there for the past 70 years, have improved the studio’s artists, technologists, and collaborators. “All of us who have had the honor to know him and learn from him will ensure his legacy carries on,” she said.

Mattinson was promoted to assistant animator by the time Disney was producing its 1959 film Sleeping Beauty. Following this, he worked on several other films such as One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961), The Sword in the Stone (1963), and The Jungle Book (1967). He was also a member of the story team for several films, including Aladdin (1992), Beauty and the Beast (1993), The Lion King (1994), Pocahontas (1995), The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996), Tarzan (1997), and Mulan (1998), as stated in a release.