Chris Sanders
He gave us Stitch and Toothless, crafting animated stories that find profound heart in the bonds of misfits and outcasts.
Born 1962 (age 64)·American filmmaker, animator, and voice actor·Birthday: March 12·Baby Boomers
Biography
Chris Sanders is an animator and storyteller whose work is defined by its emotional texture and distinctive, deceptively simple drawing style. Starting as a Disney animator in the 1980s, he quietly developed a strange, blue-furred character that would eventually become Stitch, the chaotic center of 2002's 'Lilo & Stitch,' a film he co-directed and infused with a unique, scrappy warmth. After leaving Disney, he and partner Dean DeBlois redefined DreamWorks Animation with 'How to Train Your Dragon,' delivering a soaring tale of friendship that became a cornerstone of a beloved trilogy. Sanders's voice, a soft growl, is inseparable from his most famous creation, having provided the voice for Stitch in nearly every appearance. His career, marked by a move into live-action with 'The Call of the Wild' and a return to animation with 'The Wild Robot,' showcases a consistent fascination with the wild things of the world and the families they find.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Chris was born in 1962, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Chris Was Born
The biggest hits of 1962
#1 Movie
Lawrence of Arabia
Best Picture
Lawrence of Arabia
#1 TV Show
Beverly Hillbillies
Chris's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1962Born
Cuban Missile Crisis brings the world to the brink
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,800Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Stranger on the Shore" — Acker BilkBest Picture: Lawrence of Arabia
1967Started school
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1975Became a teenager
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1978Could drive
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1980Could vote
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1983Turned 21
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1992Turned 30
LA riots after Rodney King verdict
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $84,300Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"End of the Road" — Boyz II MenBest Picture: Unforgiven
2002Turned 40
Euro currency enters circulation
Gas: $1.36/galHome: $137,800Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"How You Remind Me" — NickelbackBest Picture: Chicago
2012Turned 50
Curiosity rover lands on Mars; Sandy Hook shooting
Gas: $3.64/galHome: $143,200Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Somebody That I Used to Know" — GotyeBest Picture: Argo
2022Turned 60
Russia invades Ukraine; Queen Elizabeth II dies
Gas: $3.97/galHome: $348,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"As It Was" — Harry StylesBest Picture: Everything Everywhere All at Once
2026Age 64 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Co-wrote and co-directed the Oscar-nominated animated features 'Lilo & Stitch' and 'How to Train Your Dragon.'
- Created the globally popular Disney character Stitch and has been its primary voice actor.
- Directed the live-action/CGI hybrid film 'The Call of the Wild,' starring Harrison Ford.
- Received Academy Award nominations for Best Animated Feature for 'Lilo & Stitch,' 'How to Train Your Dragon,' and 'The Croods.'
Did You Know?
He originally designed the character that became Stitch in 1985, long before the film was greenlit.
His early concept art for Stitch depicted the creature as an alien king leading a chaotic invasion.
He provided the voice for not only Stitch but also the experimental subject in 'Lilo & Stitch' and additional characters in 'The Croods.'
Sanders is known for his storyboarding and character design work, with a sketchy, energetic style immediately recognizable to animation fans.
“I like characters that are a little bit off, a little bit broken, because that's where the story is.”
