Kevin Lima Biography

KEVIN LIMA Born and raised in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, Kevin Lima first became interested in animation at an early age. He has been drawing for as long as he can remember and contributed a regular comic strip to his high school newspaper.

An early involvement in puppetry and an eight-year association with the local puppet troupe helped him explore his interests in bringing characters to life and how to move them in an entertaining way. This led to a summer job when Eve Brook's Costume Shop where he helped create costumes for a circus.

Lima studied acting at Emerson College before enrolling in CasArts Animation Program. After graduating, he worked briefly at Disney providing animation for the Sport Goofy project.

With limited job opportunities at the studio at the time, he took an assignment designing characters for the independently featured The Brave Little Toaster, and went to Taiwan for nearly six months to work as an animator. He helped develop a project called Samurai Cat and animated on The Chipmunk Adventure before returning to Disney in 1987 to animate the character of Fagin for Oliver & Company. Following that, Lima worked in some capacity on each of Disney's next five animated features.

In the next few years Lima worked on many features for Disney. From designing Ursula and Flounder for The Little Mermaid, Jake and Frank, the frill-neck lizards from The Rescuers Down Under to playing a key role in creating the character of Lumiere for Beauty and the Beast. For Aladdin and The Lion King, Lima worked on the storyboard in their earliest stage of development.

During this same period, Lima continued to pursue his other passion - directing community theatre.

In 1992, he was offered a chance to direct A Goofy Movie. This film was both a critical and commercial success and breathed new life into the lead character.

102 Dalmatians (2000)
Tarzan (1999)
A Goofy Movie (1995)