Walt Dohrn
Birthdate: Dec 5, 1970
Birthplace: Orange County, California, USA
Walt Dohrn (birthname: Walter Dohrn) has played key creative roles in several major animated features for DreamWorks Animation, particularly with the Shrek and Trolls franchises, rising from story artist and voice actor to director. After his feature debut as a layout artist on Mr. Magoo (1997), Dohrn was a writer, voice actor (as Rumplestiltskin), and story artist on Shrek 2 (2004).
Dohrn was then an additional story artist on Shark Tale (2004) and Madagascar (2005). Dohrn rejoined the Shrek feature film team for Shrek the Third (2007), on which he voiced several small roles, was a story artist, and contributed additional screenplay material as a writer. On the sequel, Shrek Forever After (2010), Walt Dohrn was promoted to head of story, while again voicing Rumpelstiltskin and a few minor roles.
Dohrn was an additional story artist on DreamWorks Animation’s Rise of the Guardians (2012), and then served as head of story and voiced a supporting role in DreamWorks Animation’s Jay Ward-based Mr. Peabody & Sherman (2014). For the first time in a feature animation project, Dohrn was a voice actor only on DreamWorks Animation’s Madagascar spinoff, Penguins of Madagascar (2014).
Walt Dohrn stepped to the director’s plate for the first feature in DreamWorks Animation’s Trolls series, Trolls (2016), on which he was co-director with Mike Mitchell, while voicing several supporting roles in a cast including Anna Kendrick, Justin Timberlake, Zooey Deschanel, Russell Brand, James Corden, Gwen Stefani, leading to a hit box-office run of $347 million globally.
In between Troll's projects, Dohrn also worked on DreamWorks Animation’s Boss Baby franchise as a voice actor only, first on The Boss Baby (2017) and then on The Boss Baby: Family Business (2021). Dohrn was lead director for the first time on Trolls World Tour (2020), with David P. Smith as co-director, and starred in the voice cast of Kendrick, Timberlake, Rachel Bloom, Corden, Kelly Clarkson, Anderson Paak, Sam Rockwell, George Clinton, and Mary J. Blige, but losing money for distributor Universal Pictures with a $48 million return.
Dohrn again jumped over to his voice acting talents to join the cast of the amusing Pierre Perifel-directed animated heist comedy, The Bad Guys (2022). Dohrn was lead director for his third Trolls feature, Trolls Band Together (2023), with new cast members Eric André, Kid Cudi, Daveed Diggs, Camila Cabello, Amy Schumer, and RuPaul.
Personal Details
Walt Dohrn was born and raised by his parents in Orange County, California. Dohrn studied in the animation program of the California Institute for the Arts, from which he graduated. Dohrn is married to Lucille Aurelia.
Filmography
director
Previous (1)
- 2023 | Trolls Band Together
Trolls Band Together
Poppy discovers that Branch was once part of the boy band 'BroZone' with his brothers, Floyd, John Dory, Spruce and Clay. When Floyd is kidnapped, Branch and Poppy embark on a journey to reunite his two other brothers and rescue F...
actor
Previous (8)
- 2022 | The Bad GuysasScientist
The Bad Guys
To avoid prison, a gang of notorious animal criminals pretends to seek being rehabilitated, only for their leader to realize that he genuinely wants to change his ways.
- 2021 | The Boss Baby: Family Business
The Boss Baby: Family Business
The Templeton brothers have become adults and drifted away from each other, but a new boss baby with a cutting-edge approach is about to bring them together again - and inspire a new family business.
- 2020 | Trolls World Tour
- 2017 | The Boss BabyasPhotographer
The Boss Baby
A suit-wearing, briefcase-carrying baby pairs up with his 7-year old brother to stop the dastardly plot of the CEO of Puppy Co.
- 2016 |
- 2014 | Mr. Peabody & ShermanasFrench PeasantSpartacusTaxi Driver(voice)
Mr. Peabody & Sherman
The time-travelling adventures of an advanced canine and his adopted son, as they endeavor to fix a time rift they created.
- 2010 | Shrek Forever Afteras Krekraw OgrePriestRumpelstiltskin(voice)
- 2007 | Shrek the Thirdas Evil KnightNanny DwarfPrincipal PynchleySinging VillainVan StudentXavier(voice)
Some Facts About Walt Dohrn
Loyal Team Member: Walt Dohrn has worked on seven Shrek projects, including voicing the character of Rumpelstiltskin; and eleven Trolls projects, including voicing the characters of Cloud Guy, Mr. Dinkles, and The Interdimensional Hustler Traveler.
Inspirations: Dohrn took inspiration for the animated style of Trolls Band Together from The Beatles’ Yellow Submarine (1968) and Walt Disney’s Fantasia (1940).
