Disney Animator Leaves ‘Dream Job’ to Follow God’s Calling
Tom Bancroft, a renowned Disney animator, left his "dream job" at Disney in 2000 due to his Christian faith. Bancroft, who created the character Mushu in Disney's Mulan and designed young Simba in The Lion King, has worked on other Disney films, including Tarzan, Aladdin, and Beauty and the Beast. He shared that he left in 2000 after 12 years with the company.
In a recent interview on CBN's "Faith in Culture" Podcast, Bancroft shared that he was offered the role of lead animator of 2002's "Lilo & Stitch," but turned it down "to go work with vegetables" on the faith-based animated series "Veggie Tales."
Ultimately, Bancroft left Disney because of his Christian faith after he felt "a calling" that "got very loud," CBN News reported.
"I think I was able to dodge it for a long time, unfortunately," he said. "But I think it got very loud in the 2000s. … In 2000, I broke away from Disney, and I felt like I knew exactly where I needed to go."
He added, "God gave me a new dream."
During his time on Veggie Tales, Bancroft said that he was able to integrate prayer "for the first time" in his career.
"We're praying at the beginning of meetings," he reflected. "And I had just left a studio where I couldn't talk about my faith in the hallways."
According to Bancroft's website, he published his popular character design instruction books, "Creating Characters with Personality" and "Character Mentor," which became "the most recognized books on designing characters for animation, video games, comic books, and cartooning and are required textbooks at many art schools around the world."
He has also illustrated over 50 children's books, is the creator and President of the art instruction website TaughtByAPro.com, co-created a daily sketching prompt app (SketchBite), and co-hosts the most popular Animation podcast on iTunes ("The Bancroft Brothers Animation Podcast").
Bancroft is currently directing the upcoming 2D animated film Light of the World, which highlights the story of Jesus Christ.
"Directors John Schafer and Tom Bancroft share what it took to animate the character of Jesus in the new movie LIGHT OF THE WORLD, opening in theaters September 5. Dive deeply into the 2D, hand-drawn animation and discover the beauty of the film ...and of Jesus!" a post by the official Instagram account of Light of the World stated.
WATCH: Famed Animator Quits Disney over Bold Conviction
Photo Credit: ©YouTube Screengrab/CBN News
Originally published August 12, 2025.
