Disney has worked with many animators who have used their artistic talents to bring their animated characters to life. One of these isAndreas Deja, who was inspired to become an animator upon seeing late Silver Age movies like101 DalmatiansandThe Jungle Book. After graduating, he joined Disney in 1980 as the old guard was retiring, which saw Deja become a supervising animator for some of Disney’s most iconic charactersduring their Renaissance. Though he no longer works at Disney, Deja is still involved in animation, be it through sharing his knowledge through books or producing his own short film,Mushka.
Over his thirty-year stay at Disney, Deja has created a unique and gorgeous animation style. It emulates old masters likeRichard Williamsand Disney’s Nine Old Men while being distinct through fluid motions and subtle yet expressive emotions. This has allowed Deja to animate many different characters, such as villains, heroes, and comic relief, in such a way that each has a unique look and soul.
10Mickey Mouse (Wayne Allwine)
‘The Prince and the Pauper’ (1990) and ‘Runaway Brain’ (1995)
First created byWalt DisneyandUb Iwerksin 1928, Mickey Mouse has risen to be both the mascot of Disney and one of the most recognized cartoon characters in the world. He has gone through many design changes over the years, but the one that was used in the 1990s is reminiscent of his design from the 1940s, beginning withFantasia.Deja brought Mickey to life in two shorts during this era: 1990sThe Prince and the Pauper, and 1995sRunaway Brain.
Deja’s style is a wonderful fit for Mickey (Wayne Allwine) and helped both of these 90s shorts become beloved classics.Prince and the Pauperharkens back to classic Mickey, where he was more carefree and silly. Deja captures this in a multitude of ways, from Mickey’s childlike wonder as he explores the palace to the Prince’s love of pranks. Meanwhile,Runaway Brainallowed him to go wild with over-the-top expressions and give Mickey a horror makeover.
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9Tigger (Jim Cummings)
‘Winnie the Pooh’ (2011)
Of all the residents of The Hundred Acre Wood, none are as energetic as the one and only Tigger (Jim Cummings). Known for his love of bouncing, he never stays in one place for long and is always looking for new adventures. When Christopher Robin (Jack Boulter) is suspected to have been taken by a creature called the Backson (Huell Howser), Tigger recruits the gloomy Donkey Eeyore (Bud Luckey) to be his sidekick in tracking the creature down.
Tigger has always been one of the best members of theWinnie the Poohgang, but Deja breathes so much life and energy into him inDisney’s final traditionally animated film. He pays homage toMilt Kahl’soriginal design while giving Tigger more fluid and expressive movements, especially with his arms. This captures Tigger’s boundless energy and leap-before-you-look attitude.
Winnie The Pooh
8Mama Odie (Jenifer Lewis)
‘The Princess and the Frog’ (2009)
Living deep in the swamps of New Orleans is Mama Odie (Jenifer Lewis) and her snake, Juju (Jim Cummings). Despite being blind and almost two hundred years old, Mama Odie remains a powerful voodoo priestess known for helping those in need. However, she doesn’t give people what they sought her out for, instead giving them insight into another way they can fix their problem after first fixing themselves.
Mama Odie fills the role of fairy godmother in thisunderrated Disney gem. She stands out from other examples thanks to her exaggerated design, Lewis' infectiously happy performance, and her more roundabout way of helping people solve their problems. Deja was a perfect fit to bring her to life: he animates her in such a way that conveys life and weight while not going too over the top for someone at her advanced age.
The Princess and the Frog
7King Triton (Kenneth Marrs)
‘The Little Mermaid’ (1989)
Deep beneath the ocean, in the kingdom of Atlantica, King Triton (Kenneth Marrs) rules over the merpeople and wields a magic trident that grants control of the sea. Though he despises humans for their tendencies to exploit the ocean, he prefers to keep his kingdom and people out of their sight. Unfortunately, his youngest daughter, Ariel (Jodi Benson), is fascinated by humans and constantly denies his orders by venturing to the surface.
Triton is another great example of how Deja can convey complicated emotions through a few simple expressions. His personality is that ofa conflicted fatherwho wants to keep his daughter safe, but as she constantly defies him, he is forced to resort to more and more drastic measures to ensure her obedience. The best scenes of this are his argument with Ariel in the film’s beginning, and when he destroys her grotto, which contains phenomenal body positions and hand movements that complement Marrs' voice.
The Little Mermaid
A rebellious young mermaid, Ariel, longs to explore the human world and falls in love with Prince Eric after saving him from a shipwreck. Desperate to be with him, she makes a dangerous deal with the sea witch, Ursula, trading her voice for a chance to live on land, risking her life and her father’s kingdom in the process.
6Roger Rabbit (Charles Fleischer)
‘Who Framed Roger Rabbit’ (1988)
In an alternate universe where cartoons live alongside humans, Roger Rabbit (Charles Fleischer) is the star actor for R. K. Maroon’s (Alan Tilvern) studio. When he begins displaying poor performances during the filming of the newest Maroon Cartoon and pushing the short over budget, Maroo hires private detective Eddie Valiant (Bob Hoskins) to investigate rumors about Roger’s wife, Jessica (Kathleen Turner) having an affair with Marvin Acme (Stubby Kaye). The next day, Acme is found dead, and Roger is forced to turn to Eddie for help in proving that he isn’t the murderer.
Deja animated many minor characters inWho Framed Roger Rabbit, but his work on Roger is on a whole other level. Since Roger is meant to be a throwback to classic characters from the Golden Age of Animation, he has elements that can be found in all the major studios of the time.Tex Averyserved as the biggest inspiration, as seen through Roger’s literal eye-popping facial expressions, allowing Deja to get more surreal than ever before.
Who Framed Roger Rabbit
5Jafar (Jonathan Freeman)
‘Aladdin’ (1992)
To most people, Jafar (Johnathan Freeman) is the loyal Vizier to the Sultan of Agrabah (Douglas Seale). However, he secretly loathes his position as a servant and longs to take the throne for himself. This has led him to study ancient mystical arts to locate the Cave of Wonders, which contains a magic lamp housing awish-granting Genie (Robin Williams).
While most of the characters inAladdinare animated to be quick-paced and outgoing, Deja restrained Jafar through most of the film and had him act as a straight-edged man. This, combined with his angular features and Deja’s skill at animating emotion through body language, made the character more intimidating. Despite not receiving real powers until the end of the movie, Jafar always felt like he was the most dangerous person in the room because he knew how to twist the emotions of others into serving his whims.
4Adult Hercules (Josh Keaton and Tate Donovan)
‘Hercules’ (1997)
The son of the Greek Gods Zeus (Rip Torn) and Hera (Samantha Eggar), Hercules (Josh KeatonandTate Donovan) is prophesied to defeat the God of the Underworld, Hades (James Woods),should he attempt to take over Olympus. Hades sends his minions to kill Hercules, and while they’re able to make him mortal, he retains his godly strength. This causes him to grow up feeling ostracized by his fellow humans until he is told by Zeus that, should he become a True Hero, his godhood would be restored.
Hercules was Deja’s chance to break away from villains by tackling their polar opposite. Even after spending years training to be a hero, Herc finds himself awkward around people, especially girls. Deja’s animation is wonderful at capturing his innocence, but the best moments are perhaps when Herc’s spirits are crushed and his body deflates, showing that even heroes have vulnerable sides.
3Gaston (Richard White)
‘The Beauty and the Beast’ (1991)
To the people of a poor provincial French town, the local hunter, Gaston (Richard White), is the epitome of all things heroic and manly. Though any woman in the town would jump at the chance of marrying him, he only wants the best, so he has selected the daughter of the local inventor, Belle (Paige O’Hara). When she refuses, Gaston’s wounded pride drives him to dark measures to claim her.
Gaston was the first of Deja’s trilogy of 90s villains and remainsone of the most populardue to his larger-than-life personality. He serves as the perfect foil forBeauty and the Beast: his good looks and feats of athleticism would normally make him the hero in another story, but his pride and self-centered attitude drive him towards villainy. All of this is beautifully captured in Deja’s animation: during the first half of the film, subtle poses help to hint at the monster beneath the man, and when it comes out during the climax, Deja goes full force in twisting Gaston’s face into that of a murderer.
Beauty and the Beast
2Lilo (Daveigh Chase)
‘Lilo & Stitch’ (2002)
After the death of their parents, Lilo (Daveigh Chase) lives under the care of her older sister, Nani (Tia Carrere), who struggles between being both a sister and a mother to her. Things aren’t much easier in Lilo’s social life, as her eccentric behaviors leave her ostracized from other girls her age. Eventually, Nani agrees to let her have a dog, but the one she chooses is secretly an escaped alien experiment.
Deja has called Lilo the most subtle character of his career. Her movements are much more reserved than Deja’s usual lineup, yet he still manages to convey her big heart and the complex emotions swirling in her head due to her situation. Combined with her unique perspective on the world, it’s little wonder why Lilo has become one of Disney’smost beloved protagonists.
Lilo & Stitch
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1Scar (Jeremy Irons)
‘The Lion King’ (1994)
As the younger brother of King Mufasa (James Earl Jones), Scar (Jeremy Irons) has spent his whole life reminded that he is a shadow of his brother’s glory. When the birth of his nephew, Simba (Johnathan Taylor ThomasandMatthew Broderick),pushes him further down the line of succession, Scar decides to take action. He strikes a deal with Mufasa’s enemies, the hyenas, to kill his family so that he may ascend as king of the Pride Lands.
Scar is one of the perfect blends ofanimation and voice acting in all of Disney. This is thanks in large part to Irons' fantastic delivery, which makes Scar sound intimidating or playful depending on the scenes and laces every word with the right amount of venom. Deja used those inflections as inspiration to create plenty of gestures to add to this playful wickedness, from mockingly holding his pinky up while talking to Mufasa to dangling a mouse above his head like a Thespian actor before he planned to devour it.
