Tom McGrath (animator)
Encyclopedia
Thomas "Tom" McGrath is an American
voice actor and animator
who co-directed (with Eric Darnell
) the 2005 feature Madagascar
and its sequel, Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa in 2008. He has also worked as a voice actor on other DreamWorks
animated features like Flushed Away
in 2006 and Shrek the Third
in 2007. He also stepped in on Flushed Away to help make improvements prior to its release.
McGrath's experience in both television
and feature animation includes work as an animator on Ralph Bakshi's film Cool World
(starring Brad Pitt
), storyboard artist and director for the popular series The Ren and Stimpy Show
, animator on the Joe Pytka-directed Space Jam
(starring Michael Jordan
), and storyboard artist on the live-action film Cats & Dogs
and worked as storyboard artist and concept artist/prop and set designer for How the Grinch Stole Christmas (directed by Ron Howard
).
McGrath made his film directing debut as the co-director and co-writer of Madagascar where he also created the memorable squad of penguin characters and voiced their leader, Skipper. He also reprised his role as Skipper and co-directed and co-wrote the sequel, Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa. He worked on The Penguins of Madagascar
, a Madagascar spin-off TV series, as the voice of Skipper, and directed the DreamWorks animated feature Megamind (starring Will Ferrell
, Jonah Hill
, Brad Pitt, Tina Fey
and David Cross
), released in November 2010.
McGrath was raised in Lynnwood, Washington
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
voice actor and animator
Animator
An animator is an artist who creates multiple images that give an illusion of movement called animation when displayed in rapid sequence; the images are called frames and key frames. Animators can work in a variety of fields including film, television, video games, and the internet. Usually, an...
who co-directed (with Eric Darnell
Eric Darnell
Eric Darnell is an American director, writer, voice actor, songwriter and animator. He is best known for co-directing Antz with Tim Johnson, as well as co-directing Madagascar and Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa with Tom McGrath....
) the 2005 feature Madagascar
Madagascar (2005 film)
Madagascar is a 2005 computer-animated film produced by DreamWorks Animation, and released in movie theaters on May 27, 2005. The film tells the story of four Central Park Zoo animals who have spent their lives in blissful captivity and are unexpectedly shipped back to Africa, getting shipwrecked...
and its sequel, Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa in 2008. He has also worked as a voice actor on other DreamWorks
DreamWorks
DreamWorks Pictures, also known as DreamWorks, LLC, DreamWorks SKG, DreamWorks II Distribution Co., LLC, DreamWorks Studios or DW Studios, LLC, is an American film studio which develops, produces, and distributes films, video games and television programming...
animated features like Flushed Away
Flushed Away
Flushed Away is a 2006 computer animated British film directed by David Bowers and Sam Fell. It is a partnership between Aardman Animations of Wallace and Gromit fame, and DreamWorks Animation, and is Aardman's first completely computer-animated feature as opposed to the usual stop-motion.The film...
in 2006 and Shrek the Third
Shrek the Third
Shrek the Third is a 2007 American animated film, and the third film in the Shrek series. It was produced by Jeffrey Katzenberg for DreamWorks Animation, and is distributed by Paramount Pictures. It was released in U.S. theaters on May 18, 2007...
in 2007. He also stepped in on Flushed Away to help make improvements prior to its release.
McGrath's experience in both television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
and feature animation includes work as an animator on Ralph Bakshi's film Cool World
Cool World
Cool World is a 1992 American live-action/animated film directed by Ralph Bakshi, and starring Kim Basinger, Gabriel Byrne, and Brad Pitt. It tells the story of a cartoonist who finds himself in the animated world he created, and is seduced by one of his characters, a comic strip vamp who wants to...
(starring Brad Pitt
Brad Pitt
William Bradley "Brad" Pitt is an American actor and film producer. Pitt has received two Academy Award nominations and four Golden Globe Award nominations, winning one...
), storyboard artist and director for the popular series The Ren and Stimpy Show
The Ren and Stimpy Show
The Ren & Stimpy Show, often simply referred to as Ren & Stimpy, is an American animated television series, created by Canadian animator John Kricfalusi for Nickelodeon. The series focuses on the titular characters: Ren Höek, a psychotic chihuahua, and Stimpson J. Cat, a good-natured, dimwitted cat...
, animator on the Joe Pytka-directed Space Jam
Space Jam
Aside from Jordan, a number of NBA players and coaches appeared in the film. Larry Bird portrays a friend of Jordan who joins him for a game of golf. When the Monstars steal the NBA players' talent, they invade a game between the Phoenix Suns and the New York Knicks, causing the Knicks' Patrick...
(starring Michael Jordan
Michael Jordan
Michael Jeffrey Jordan is a former American professional basketball player, active entrepreneur, and majority owner of the Charlotte Bobcats...
), and storyboard artist on the live-action film Cats & Dogs
Cats & Dogs
Cats & Dogs is a 2001 American-Australian action-comedy film directed by Lawrence Guterman. The screenplay by John Requa and Glenn Ficarra centers on the relationships between cats and dogs. It was shot in Victoria and Vancouver. The film was released on July 4, 2001 by Warner Bros...
and worked as storyboard artist and concept artist/prop and set designer for How the Grinch Stole Christmas (directed by Ron Howard
Ron Howard
Ronald William "Ron" Howard is an American actor, director, and producer. He came to prominence as a child actor, playing Opie Taylor in the sitcom The Andy Griffith Show for eight years, and later the teenaged Richie Cunningham in the sitcom Happy Days for six years...
).
McGrath made his film directing debut as the co-director and co-writer of Madagascar where he also created the memorable squad of penguin characters and voiced their leader, Skipper. He also reprised his role as Skipper and co-directed and co-wrote the sequel, Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa. He worked on The Penguins of Madagascar
The Penguins of Madagascar
The Penguins of Madagascar is an American CGI animated television series airing on Nickelodeon. It stars nine characters from the DreamWorks Animation animated film Madagascar: The penguins Skipper , Kowalski , Private , and Rico ; the lemurs King Julien , Maurice , and Mort...
, a Madagascar spin-off TV series, as the voice of Skipper, and directed the DreamWorks animated feature Megamind (starring Will Ferrell
Will Ferrell
John William "Will" Ferrell is an American comedian, impressionist, actor, and writer. Ferrell first established himself in the late 1990s as a cast member on the NBC sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live, and has subsequently starred in the comedy films Old School, Elf, Anchorman, Talladega...
, Jonah Hill
Jonah Hill
Jonah Hill Feldstein , known professionally as Jonah Hill, is an American actor, producer, screenwriter, and comedian. Hill is best known roles for his roles in Superbad, Knocked Up, and Get Him to the Greek. He made his theatrical debut in I Heart Huckabees, alongside Jason Schwartzman and Dustin...
, Brad Pitt, Tina Fey
Tina Fey
Elizabeth Stamatina "Tina" Fey is an American actress, comedian, writer and producer, known for her work on the NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live , the NBC comedy series 30 Rock, and films such as Mean Girls and Baby Mama .Fey first broke into comedy as a featured player in the...
and David Cross
David Cross
David Cross is an American actor, writer and stand-up comedian perhaps best known for his work on HBO's sketch comedy series Mr...
), released in November 2010.
McGrath was raised in Lynnwood, Washington
Lynnwood, Washington
Lynnwood is a city in Snohomish County, Washington, United States. The population was 35,836 at the 2010 census, making it the fourth largest in Snohomish County and twenty-ninth largest in Washington State. The city is a mix of urban, suburban, small city, crossroads and bedroom community to many...
.
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | The Thing What Lurked in the Tub | Animator | |
| 1992 | Cool World Cool World Cool World is a 1992 American live-action/animated film directed by Ralph Bakshi, and starring Kim Basinger, Gabriel Byrne, and Brad Pitt. It tells the story of a cartoonist who finds himself in the animated world he created, and is seduced by one of his characters, a comic strip vamp who wants to... |
Animation designer Animator Layout artist |
|
| 1996 | Space Jam Space Jam Aside from Jordan, a number of NBA players and coaches appeared in the film. Larry Bird portrays a friend of Jordan who joins him for a game of golf. When the Monstars steal the NBA players' talent, they invade a game between the Phoenix Suns and the New York Knicks, causing the Knicks' Patrick... |
Animator | |
| 1998 | Hercules and Xena – The Animated Movie: The Battle for Mount Olympus | Key animator Layout artist |
|
| 1999 | Herd | Fed #5 | |
| 2000 | How the Grinch Stole Christmas | Storyboard artist | |
| 2001 | Cats & Dogs Cats & Dogs Cats & Dogs is a 2001 American-Australian action-comedy film directed by Lawrence Guterman. The screenplay by John Requa and Glenn Ficarra centers on the relationships between cats and dogs. It was shot in Victoria and Vancouver. The film was released on July 4, 2001 by Warner Bros... |
Storyboard artist | |
| 2005 | Madagascar Madagascar (2005 film) Madagascar is a 2005 computer-animated film produced by DreamWorks Animation, and released in movie theaters on May 27, 2005. The film tells the story of four Central Park Zoo animals who have spent their lives in blissful captivity and are unexpectedly shipped back to Africa, getting shipwrecked... |
Skipper | Director Screenwriter |
| 2006 | Flushed Away Flushed Away Flushed Away is a 2006 computer animated British film directed by David Bowers and Sam Fell. It is a partnership between Aardman Animations of Wallace and Gromit fame, and DreamWorks Animation, and is Aardman's first completely computer-animated feature as opposed to the usual stop-motion.The film... |
Action Figure Artist |
Creative consultant |
| 2007 | Shrek the Third Shrek the Third Shrek the Third is a 2007 American animated film, and the third film in the Shrek series. It was produced by Jeffrey Katzenberg for DreamWorks Animation, and is distributed by Paramount Pictures. It was released in U.S. theaters on May 18, 2007... |
Gary | |
| 2008 | Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa | Skipper | Director Screenwriter |
| 2009 | Monsters vs. Aliens Monsters vs. Aliens Monsters vs. Aliens is a 2009 American computer-animated 3-D science fiction film produced by DreamWorks Animation and distributed by Paramount Pictures... |
Wilson | |
| 2010 | Megamind | Lord Scott Prison Guard |
Director |
| 2012 | Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted | Skipper |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994–1996 | The Ren and Stimpy Show The Ren and Stimpy Show The Ren & Stimpy Show, often simply referred to as Ren & Stimpy, is an American animated television series, created by Canadian animator John Kricfalusi for Nickelodeon. The series focuses on the titular characters: Ren Höek, a psychotic chihuahua, and Stimpson J. Cat, a good-natured, dimwitted cat... |
Director Storyboard artist Layout artist Background designer |
|
| 2009–present | The Penguins of Madagascar The Penguins of Madagascar The Penguins of Madagascar is an American CGI animated television series airing on Nickelodeon. It stars nine characters from the DreamWorks Animation animated film Madagascar: The penguins Skipper , Kowalski , Private , and Rico ; the lemurs King Julien , Maurice , and Mort... |
Skipper | Creator Writer Creative consultant |
| 2009 | Merry Madagascar Merry Madagascar Merry Madagascar is a Christmas special first broadcast on the NBC network on November 17, 2009, which starred the characters from the Madagascar film series. The story appears to take place sometime between the first and second film... |
Skipper additional voices |
writer |