Roy Conli

Roy Conli (born August 15, 1971) is an American film producer and voice actor best known for his work at Walt Disney Animation Studios, where he has produced numerous animated feature films and contributed to the studio's executive leadership team.^[1][2] He won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature for producing Big Hero 6 (2014), a superhero adventure film that grossed over $657 million worldwide and celebrated themes of innovation and teamwork.^[2] Conli's career spans more than three decades in animation and theater, emphasizing storytelling centered on outcasts, misfits, and unconventional heroes.^[3] Born and raised in Los Angeles, Conli pursued theater studies at the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco before earning a Master of Fine Arts degree from Boston University.^[2] Early in his career, he worked in live theater, including four years at the Mark Taper Forum managing special projects and new play development, as well as contributing to the restoration and reopening of the Pasadena Playhouse in 1986 and serving as an associate producer at the Camden Shakespeare Festival.^[2][4] In 1993, Conli joined Walt Disney Animation Studios during its Renaissance era, initially contributing to production on films such as The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996), Hercules (1997), Tarzan (1999), and Treasure Planet (2002).^[2][3] Conli's producing credits include the fairy tale adaptation Tangled (2010), the holiday short Olaf's Frozen Adventure (2017), and the science fiction adventure Strange World (2022), alongside voice acting roles in several Disney projects.^[1][3] Since 2014, he has also produced Disneynature documentaries such as Born in China (2017), Penguins (2019), Elephant (2020), Dolphin Reef (2020), Polar Bear (2022), and Tiger (2024), which highlight wildlife conservation and natural habitats.^[5] More recently, Conli produced the upcoming Walt Disney Animation Studios film Hexed, directed by Josie Trinidad and Jason Hand and scheduled for release in 2026, continuing his focus on innovative animated storytelling.^[6]

Early life and education

Early life

Roy Conli was born Roy Salvatore Conli on July 8, 1954, in Los Angeles, California.^[2][7] Of Italian descent, with the family surname originally Coniglione, he was raised in the Los Angeles area, where his formative years were shaped by a culturally rich environment influenced by his heritage.^[8][7] Conli is the first cousin once removed of actor Nathan Kress, as his mother and Kress's paternal grandfather were siblings.^[7] As a young individual in the late 1970s and early 1980s, he gained early exposure to theatre through his involvement in the re-opening of the Pasadena Playhouse, an experience that immersed him in the performing arts during his childhood and teenage years.^[9][10]

Education

Conli earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in drama from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona (Cal Poly Pomona) in 1983.^[11] During his studies there in the 1970s and early 1980s, he initially aspired to become an actor but developed a broad skill set encompassing set design, sound design, and marketing, which provided a well-rounded foundation essential for his later work in production.^[10] Following his undergraduate education, Conli obtained a Master of Fine Arts in directing from Boston University in 1987.^[12] He also underwent additional theatre training at the American Conservatory Theater (ACT) in San Francisco, honing his practical skills in performance and stagecraft.^[13] This comprehensive academic background in theatre and directing equipped him with the versatile expertise that bridged traditional stage production to opportunities in animation.

Career

Theatre and early career

Following his undergraduate education, Roy Conli spent 16 years working in professional theatre, beginning with involvement in the restoration and reopening of the Pasadena Playhouse in 1983.^[2] He later earned a master's degree in directing in Boston before running a Shakespeare company in Camden, Maine, for several years, where he served as associate producer for the Camden Shakespeare Festival.^[9][5] In 1989, Conli joined the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles, the city's leading regional theater, where he spent four years overseeing production for its new play development program and managing special projects.^[2][5] During this period, he also produced a theatre piece at the Getty Museum, which caught the attention of Disney executives and led to his recruitment by Walt Disney Animation Studios in 1993.^[9] Conli's transition to animation was inspired by Disney's early 1990s Renaissance films; he was particularly struck by Beauty and the Beast (1991), which he described as "blown away" by its storytelling, and Aladdin (1992), which further captivated him.^[9] Prior to fully committing to animation, his theatre work encompassed live-action productions that honed his skills in narrative and production management.^[9]

Disney Animation Studios

Roy Conli joined Walt Disney Animation Studios in 1993, during the studio's Renaissance period, where he began contributing to feature film development. His initial role involved assembling creative elements for The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996), earning him a co-producer credit alongside Don Hahn on the film, which explored themes of societal outcasts and inner beauty.^[14][15] In 1995, Conli relocated to Paris to manage the studio's French production unit for three years, overseeing animation contributions to Hercules (1997) and Tarzan (1999), which helped integrate international talent into Disney's workflow during a time of global expansion.^[16][2][17] Returning to the Burbank studio, he took on the producer role for Treasure Planet (2002), a science fiction adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island that emphasized themes of misfits and outcasts through the story of young Jim Hawkins, a rebellious teen navigating identity and belonging in a vast universe.^[3][9] Conli's producing career continued with Tangled (2010), where he served as producer and provided additional voice work, contributing to the film's blend of humor, adventure, and emotional depth in retelling the Rapunzel fairy tale. He also produced [Big Hero 6](/page/Big Hero 6) (2014), focusing on the narrative of Hiro Hamada, a boy genius robotics prodigy who forms bonds with a healthcare robot and a team of young heroes, exploring themes of grief, innovation, and found family; the film won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. Additionally, Conli provided further voice contributions to the project.^[14][18] Throughout his tenure, Conli credited John Lasseter's leadership as chief creative officer with reigniting passion for animation at the studio, fostering a filmmaker-driven environment that emphasized storytelling and artistic maturation following the post-Renaissance challenges.^[14][18][19]

Disneynature and recent projects

In 2015, Roy Conli transitioned from his long-standing role at Walt Disney Animation Studios to produce for Disneynature, beginning with the documentary Born in China (2017), which followed the lives of pandas, snow leopards, and golden monkeys in remote Chinese wilderness areas.^[20] Conli emphasized framing these films as "real life adventures" rather than conventional documentaries, aiming to blend narrative storytelling with authentic wildlife observation to engage audiences emotionally.^[21] Conli also served as producer on the 2017 Disney animated featurette Olaf's Frozen Adventure, which expanded the Frozen universe with holiday-themed storytelling.^[22] Filming wildlife for Disneynature presented significant logistical challenges, exemplified by cinematographer Shane Moore's efforts on Born in China, where he spent 253 days over six seasons in a remote shack on the Qinghai Plateau to capture rare footage of snow leopards, including his first successful shot after 90 days of waiting.^[23] To safely approach isolated giant pandas weighing up to 800 pounds, the crew donned panda suits infused with panda scent, allowing them to build trust and film intimate family interactions without disturbing the animals.^[24] Conli's subsequent producer credits for Disneynature include Penguins (2019), which chronicled the journey of an Adelie penguin family in Antarctica; Elephant (2020), which followed an elephant family across Africa; Dolphin Reef (2020), exploring underwater life in the Red Sea; Polar Bear (2022), focusing on a mother polar bear and her cubs in the Arctic; Tiger (2024), tracking a tigress raising her cubs in India's jungles; and Sea Lions of the Galapagos (2025), exploring the lives of sea lion pups amid the islands' diverse ecosystem.^{[25][26][27][28][1]} Conli has continued producing for Walt Disney Animation Studios, including Strange World (2022) and the upcoming Hexed (2026).^[6] Drawing inspiration from Walt Disney's original True-Life Adventures series of the 1940s and 1950s, Conli's projects prioritize family-oriented narratives that educate viewers on animal behaviors and conservation while delivering entertaining, accessible stories suitable for all ages.^[24]

Filmography

Feature films

Roy Conli's feature film credits primarily consist of production roles in animated films from Walt Disney Animation Studios and documentary films from Disneynature, along with occasional voice work. The following is a chronological list of his contributions to theatrical and direct-to-video feature films and featurettes.

• The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996): co-producer (animated feature).^[29]
• Treasure Planet (2002): producer (animated feature).
• Tangled (2010): producer, additional voices (animated feature).^[30]
• Big Hero 6 (2014): producer, additional voices (animated feature).
• Born in China (2017): producer (Disneynature documentary).^[31]
• Olaf's Frozen Adventure (2017): producer (animated featurette).
• Penguins (2019): producer (Disneynature documentary).
• Elephant (2020): producer (Disneynature documentary).^[32]
• Dolphin Reef (2020): producer (Disneynature documentary).^[33]
• Polar Bear (2022): producer (Disneynature documentary).
• Strange World (2022): producer (animated feature).
• Tiger (2024): producer (Disneynature documentary).
• Sea Lions of the Galapagos (2025): producer (Disneynature documentary).^[28]

Television

Conli's primary television credit is as a producer on the Disney+ animated miniseries Baymax!, a spin-off from the Big Hero 6 franchise that follows the healthcare robot Baymax assisting various San Fransokyo residents with everyday problems.^[34] He served as producer for the first three episodes—"Cass," "Kiko," and "Ramen"—before transitioning to executive producer for the remaining three episodes—"Yachi," "Shawn," and "Baymax."^[5] This marked Disney Animation Studios' first original animated series for the streaming platform, with Conli contributing to its heartfelt, episodic storytelling focused on themes of care and community. No additional voice acting or other television credits for Conli have been documented in Disney properties.

Awards and nominations

Academy Awards

Roy Conli received the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature for producing [Big Hero 6](/page/Big Hero_6) at the 87th Academy Awards, held on February 22, 2015, at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood.^[35] The film, directed by Don Hall and Chris Williams, was recognized for its innovative blend of action, humor, and emotional depth in a superhero origin story set in a futuristic San Francisco-inspired city.^[35] The award was presented by actors Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and Zoe Saldana, who announced the winners to enthusiastic applause, with Conli joining Hall and Williams onstage to accept the golden statuette.^[36] This ceremony, hosted by Neil Patrick Harris, celebrated Big Hero 6 as the frontrunner in a competitive field that included How to Train Your Dragon 2, The Boxtrolls, Song of the Sea, and The Tale of the Princess Kaguya, underscoring Disney Animation Studios' continued dominance in the category.^[35] The win not only affirmed the film's critical and commercial success, grossing over $658 million worldwide, but also highlighted Conli's pivotal role in overseeing its production challenges and creative vision.^[37][38] This remains Conli's only Academy Award win, with no other nominations in the Best Animated Feature category for his subsequent projects.^[35]

Other awards

In addition to his Academy Award recognition, Roy Conli has received several nominations from prominent industry guilds and associations for his work in animation production. For Big Hero 6 (2014), Conli was nominated for the Producers Guild of America (PGA) Award for Outstanding Producer of Animated Theatrical Motion Pictures in 2015, acknowledging his role in overseeing the film's production as lead producer. The film also earned a nomination for the British Academy Film Award (BAFTA) for Best Animated Film at the 68th BAFTA Awards in 2015, with Conli credited as producer alongside directors Don Hall and Chris Williams.^[39] Conli's contributions to Tangled (2010) were recognized with a nomination for the Visual Effects Society (VES) Award for Outstanding Animation in an Animated Feature Motion Picture at the 9th Annual VES Awards in 2011, where he was listed as producer.^[40] For the earlier project Treasure Planet (2002), on which he served as producer, Conli received a nomination for the Online Film & Television Association (OFTA) Film Award for Best Animated Picture in 2003.^[41] Further accolades include a win for Big Hero 6 at the 13th Annual VES Awards in 2015 for Outstanding Animation in an Animated Feature Motion Picture, shared with directors Hall and Chris Williams and head of animation Zach Parrish, highlighting the film's innovative visual achievements.^[42] In television, Conli earned a nomination for the Children's and Family Emmy Award for Outstanding Children's or Young Teen Animated Program for his producing work on the Disney+ series Baymax! (2022) at the 1st Children's and Family Emmy Awards in 2023. These honors reflect Conli's consistent impact across Disney's animated features and series within key industry bodies.