Legendary Animator Mark Henn Retires from Disney after 43 Years

Legendary Animator Mark Henn Retires from Disney after 43 Years

Mark Henn, legendary animator at Disney during the studio’s modern era, concluded his 43-year tenure with the company this week at the age of 65. Commencing his Disney journey in 1980, Henn remained steadfastly loyal, never venturing to another studio throughout his illustrious career.

Although not as spotlighted as some of Disney’s other animation luminaries, Henn played a profound role in shaping the contemporary aesthetic of Disney animation. He continued the legacy of the studio’s original Nine Old Men animators, characterized by his ability to generate substantial amounts of footage and infuse characters with genuine, heartfelt, and restrained animation.

Within the studio, Henn earned a reputation as a low-key and unassuming figure. Despite this, his impact was far-reaching, as he significantly contributed to defining the studio’s animation style. Notably, Henn held the distinction of supervising five female leads, a record unmatched in the history of the animation studio.

His oversight included iconic characters such as Ariel (collaborating with Glen Keane), Belle (working alongside James Baxter), Jasmine, Mulan, and Tiana. Throughout his tenure, Henn’s animation work was characterized by its sincerity, warmth, and understated brilliance.

Related: ‘Once Upon a Studio’ adds a dash of Magic with Legends Burny Mattinson and Richard Sherman

Demonstrating Henn’s enduring talent and significance at Disney, the studio creatively accommodated him in the era of computer-generated animation. This involved assigning him tasks related to 2D sequences, such as crafting the Maui tattoos in Moana or contributing to the hybrid film Enchanted.

Henn’s impact extended beyond feature films, as he made numerous contributions to short films like The Ballad of Nessie and Get a Horse!, engaged in special projects for theme parks, and played a key role in early character exploration and 2D sequences for major productions.

Notably, Henn embraced a pivotal new role as a mentor and coach within the studio. His mentorship journey commenced with Frozen and continued through films like Big Hero 6 and Ralph Breaks the Internet.

Henn has not yet revealed what he will do in retirement after 43 years with the company. Congratulations to Mark and best wishes on the next chapter of his journey.

Let our friends at Destinations to Travel help you book your next Disney Vacation. They are the preferred Travel Agency of Chip and Company and Disney Addicts, and who we use ourselves.

Get started below for your FREE No Obligation Quote.

Book With our friends at Destinations to Travel

Who is your Travel Agent?(Required)

Let us pick for youEric HilesStacy ReedAbbey JohnsonAlisa SullivanAlli WillisAmanda FolsomAmanda VannAmber BrillhartAmber FisherAmy SieburnAndrea SmithAngela AndersonAngie BaycuraAnna PetrilliAnnabelle DuboseApril StefanskiAshley RamseyBeth ParsonsBetsy SantoroBrandie McQueenBrian BuckleyBridget HatchBryan SchwartzCandice SneedCarrie ButlerCarson DockumCasey BoltCharleen HortonChelsea RoyChelsea WuebkerChris BoyerChristie GrubeChristina FratturaChristina SmithCourtney WhiteCraig YoderDan MercedDanielle NorcrossDarby MouritsenDavid ForrestDeborah AlvaradoEmilee BiegelEmily MorrisFaith HakesGail HatchGreg MatzkerHelen HummerHolly CurryJackie CavistonJaclyn PepitoneJamie SwansonJeanine JordanJeff CallahanJenni MaierJennifer BrownJennifer StephensonJennifer StoessnerJessica HatfieldJessica HuffJessica WunderJoe GuertinJon CarpentierJoseph SliwaJulie McCombJustin BrownKat AttridgeKathryn EberhartKathy AndersonKatie HarrellKatie PrevotKayla CookKelsey SullensKim HelmsKimberly HutchinsonKristi GallagherKyle RamsdenLauren DewlenLeanne MonterLinda DurhamLindsay AckermannLindsey VromanLissette BritoLori HardyMallory MorrisonMandi QuinnMaranda PerkinsMarisa AlvaradoMegan TeismannMeghan BlairMelissa ReedMichele KlineMike BeyerMissy McCormickMisty DickersonNancy CasteelNicole ThorntonPatrick O'ConnorPaul SulPeyton Ward-KubikRaylene CooganRegan OstranderRobbie BulusRobert ThomasSara SolbergSarah McCandlishShanna BrowningShelley BennettShelly MetzStacy CristStacy KrzyminskiStacy SmithStephanie DraganoStephanie FerencStephanie WalshSusannah McCordTara SlusserTerri MillerTiffany DobraskiTiffany DrenkhahnTina FarmerTonya LesiukTracy DaneTroy DuncanVeronica RenteriaVicki FesslerWendy CarllWendy HauserWendy KellehanWendy Shelley

Name(Required)

First Last

Email(Required)

Phone(Required)

Destination(Required)

Walt Disney WorldDisneyland ResortDisney Cruise LineAulani, A Disney Resort and SpaAulani, A Disney Resort and SpaUniversal FloridaUniversal HollywoodRoyal Caribbean, Carnival, Norwegian or other Cruise LineI don't know yet

# of Adults(Required)

# of Children(Required)

Check-in-Date(Required)

MM slash DD slash YYYY

Check-out-Date(Required)

MM slash DD slash YYYY

Comments, Questions or Special Requests

Email

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Δ

For the BEST in Disney, Universal, Dollywood, and SeaWorld Theme Park News, Entertainment, Merchandise & More follow us on, Facebook, Instagram, and Youtube. Don't forget to check out the Chip and Company Radio Network too!