In 2003, when asked to reflect on half a century at Disney, Mattinson said, “I mean, 50 years is a long time, but I still feel like that 18-year-old kid that came here back in ’53, you know? I never feel like I’ve gotten old.” In 2008, the Walt Disney Company officially recognized Mattinson as a Disney Legend, although his status had long since been cemented as one of the studio’s all-time greats.
Mattinson is survived by his wife, Ellen Siirola; his son, Brett Mattinson, and his wife, Kelly, and their two children; and his daughter, Genny, her husband Larry Ellena, and their two children.
Burnett “Burny” Mattinson, animator, director, producer, and story artist at Walt Disney Animation Studios for nearly 70 years, died on Monday, February 27, at Canyon Oaks Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Canoga Park, California, following a short illness. He was 87 years old.
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Mattinson continued working full-time at Walt Disney Animation Studios into the new century, filling the role of story supervisor on the 2011 feature Winnie the Pooh and 2007 Goofy short How to Hook Up Your Home Theater. More recently, he served as a story consultant on Big Hero 6 and Strange World.
Eric Goldberg recalled, “Burny was low-key, charming, inventive, and superbly gifted as a draftsperson and a storyteller. His storyboards were beautifully acted and wonderfully atmospheric, which I first encountered when I joined the studio for Aladdin. The more I saw of his work, the more I became in awe of his breadth of talent. I value his cheerful friendship and lasting inspiration to me and so many other animation artists. He will be missed, but not forgotten.”
— Stephen Anderson (@stevehatguy) February 27, 2023

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A legend and a gentleman. pic.twitter.com/VEy7KFQhnf
Other Disney colleagues, like Marlon West and Stephen Anderson, also posted tributes on social media:
After finishing an in-house training program, Mattinson became an animator and worked on the films Robin Hood and Winnie the Pooh and Tigger, Too. His work caught the eye of Frank Thomas, another of the Nine Old Men, who asked him to help storyboard The Rescuers.
“I was six years old and I decided I was gonna work at Disney,” Mattinson said in a video celebrating 65 years at the company. “It was the quality of what they did. I say that from Pinocchio… these are drawings that are coming to life. If you want in-depth characters, it had to be Disney. That’s why I wanted to be there.”
“The biggest thing is having fun,” Mattinson once said. “I’ve always found that through all those pictures I’ve worked on if you’re having fun working on it, it will come across.”
In the 1990s, Mattinson was a member of the story team on renaissance classics including Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King, Pocahontas, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Tarzan, and Mulan.
Over seven decades, Mattinson put together an incredible resume including dozens of titles that have impacted generations of moviegoers. He was also one of the few remaining people who could say that they’d worked directly with Walt. In a 2020 interview, Mattinson remembered those early days at the studio when he would, each Friday, cash a check on Walt’s behalf so the boss would have some spending money for the weekend.
Mattinson was later promoted by Marc Davis, one of Disney’s Nine Old Men, to assistant animator on Sleeping Beauty and filled the same role on One Hundred and One Dalmatians.
A genial security guard called &