Ron Clements
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Ron Clements is an American animator, film director, screenwriter, and producer best known for his longtime creative partnership with fellow filmmaker John Musker at Walt Disney Animation Studios. He was born Ronald Francis Clements on April 25, 1953, in Sioux City, Iowa. As a teenager, Clements developed a passion for animation, creating his own short films using a Super 8 camera and working in the art department of a local television station. He began his professional career as an animator at Hanna-Barbera Productions before being accepted into Disney’s Talent Development Program, where he served a two-year apprenticeship under legendary Disney animator Frank Thomas.
Clements made his feature film debut as a character animator on The Rescuers and Pete’s Dragon, both released in 1977. He later served as the supervising animator on The Fox and the Hound in 1981. His directorial debut came with The Great Mouse Detective in 1986, which he co-directed and co-wrote with John Musker, marking the beginning of one of the most successful partnerships in animated film history.
Clements and Musker are credited with playing a pivotal role in ushering in the Disney Renaissance era. They co-directed and co-wrote The Little Mermaid in 1989, a critical and commercial success that revitalized the studio’s animated feature department. They followed this with Aladdin in 1992, which became the first animated film to gross over two hundred million dollars domestically. Further collaborations include Hercules in 1997, Treasure Planet in 2002, The Princess and the Frog in 2009, and Moana in 2016. Clements and Musker temporarily left Disney in 2005 but were invited back by newly appointed chief creative officer John Lasseter to direct The Princess and the Frog, which marked a return to traditional hand-drawn animation for the studio.
Throughout his career, Clements has worked across multiple roles including director, screenwriter, producer, and animator. His films have received numerous accolades, including Academy Award nominations for Best Animated Feature for Treasure Planet, The Princess and the Frog, and Moana. In June 2025, it was announced that Clements had come out of retirement to return to Disney Animation Studios in an advisory role.
Ron Clements is an American animator, film director, screenwriter, and producer best known for his longtime creative partnership with fellow filmmaker John Musker at Walt Disney Animation Studios. He was born Ronald Francis Clements on April 25, 1953, in Sioux City, Iowa. As a teenager, Clements developed a passion for animation, creating his own short films using a Super 8 camera and working in the art department of a local television station. He began his professional career as an animator at Hanna-Barbera Productions before being accepted into Disney’s Talent Development Program, where he served a two-year apprenticeship under legendary Disney animator Frank Thomas.
Clements made his feature film debut as a character animator on The Rescuers and Pete’s Dragon, both released in 1977. He later served as the supervising animator on The Fox and the Hound in 1981. His directorial debut came with The Great Mouse Detective in 1986, which he co-directed and co-wrote with John Musker, marking the beginning of one of the most successful partnerships in animated film history.
Clements and Musker are credited with playing a pivotal role in ushering in the Disney Renaissance era. They co-directed and co-wrote The Little Mermaid in 1989, a critical and commercial success that revitalized the studio’s animated feature department. They followed this with Aladdin in 1992, which became the first animated film to gross over two hundred million dollars domestically. Further collaborations include Hercules in 1997, Treasure Planet in 2002, The Princess and the Frog in 2009, and Moana in 2016. Clements and Musker temporarily left Disney in 2005 but were invited back by newly appointed chief creative officer John Lasseter to direct The Princess and the Frog, which marked a return to traditional hand-drawn animation for the studio.
Throughout his career, Clements has worked across multiple roles including director, screenwriter, producer, and animator. His films have received numerous accolades, including Academy Award nominations for Best Animated Feature for Treasure Planet, The Princess and the Frog, and Moana. In June 2025, it was announced that Clements had come out of retirement to return to Disney Animation Studios in an advisory role.
Works
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