The Walt Disney Company
Burny Mattinson, an animator who was the Walt Disney Co.’s longest-serving “cast member,” and helped bring to life many of the studio’s most beloved classics, including Lady and the Tramp, Sleeping Beauty, and The Lion King, died Monday, the company announced. He was 87.
In a press release attributing the death to a short illness, Disney said that Mattinson had been set to receive his 70th anniversary service award (“the first ever”) in June. At the time of his death, he was still working full-time at Walt Disney Animation Studios as a story consultant and mentor, according to the company.
“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,” said Jennifer Lee, Disney Animation Studios’ chief creative officer. “All of us who have had the honor to know him and learn from him will ensure his legacy carries on.”