Eric Darnell
The creative force behind the bustling colonies of Antz and the chaotic adventures of Madagascar.
Eric Darnell (born 1961) is an American animator, storyboard artist, director, screenwriter, songwriter and occasional voice actor best known for co-directing Antz with Tim Johnson, as well as co-directing and co-writing Madagascar, Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa and Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted with Tom McGrath, and the spin-off Penguins of Madagascar (2014) with Simon J. Smith. He now serves as co-founder and chief creative officer of Baobab Studios.
Quick Facts
- Born
- 1961
- Birthplace
- Prairie Village, Kansas, U.S.
- Occupation
- Animator
- storyboard artist
- film director
- writer
- Years active
- 1989–present
- Spouse
- Laura Darnell
- Notable works
- Antz
- Madagascar
- Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa
- Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted
- Penguins of Madagascar
- Children
- 2
Lore & Background
Darnell was born in Prairie Village, Kansas, and attended Shawnee Mission East High School, where he wrote for the school newspaper the Harbinger. He studied broadcast journalism at the University of Colorado at Boulder, graduating in 1983. After four years making experimental films in his basement, he was accepted into the Experimental Animation program at the California Institute of the Arts. During that time, he directed the music video for the 1989 R.E.M. song 'Get Up'.
After graduating in 1991, he joined Pacific Data Images, working as a character animator on the 1991 Hanna-Barbera Halloween special The Last Halloween. He also animated and directed the short film Gas Planet, which won the Ottawa International Animation Festival Special Jury Prize. In 1995, he left PDI to join DreamWorks Animation, helping with research and development for The Prince of Egypt. After DreamWorks merged with PDI the following year, he co-directed his first feature film, Antz (1998), alongside fellow PDI-turned-DreamWorks employee Tim Johnson.
The film marked the studio's first computer-animated feature and the second such feature after Pixar's Toy Story. He then worked as a storyboard artist on Shrek (2001), for which he wrote the song 'Welcome to Duloc.'
Reader's Guide
Darnell lives in Campbell, California with his wife, Laura, and their son, Rex, and daughter, Leah. His career path—from experimental films in his basement to co-founding a VR studio—shows a consistent drive to push animation into new formats. Key turning points include winning the Ottawa International Animation Festival Special Jury Prize for Gas Planet, co-directing DreamWorks' first computer-animated feature Antz, and transitioning to virtual reality with Baobab Studios. His work on the Madagascar franchise, including co-writing the TV special Merry Madagascar, demonstrates his versatility across feature films, television, and shorts.
Did You Know?
- Darnell co-founded Baobab Studios in 2015 with Maureen Fan, a former Zynga vice president.
- He wrote and directed the VR short Crow: The Legend, inspired by the Lenape myth and featuring voices including John Legend and Oprah Winfrey.
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