Biografi
Jamie Thomason stands unmatched in directing voices. Recognized as one of the most prolific, versatile, and celebrated casting and dialogue directors in animation, Thomason has guided thousands of actors—over 100 winners of Academy, Emmy, and Tony Awards, including multiple EGOT recipients—across more than 100 films and 3,000 television episodes during his distinguished career spanning thirty years. Performers from every discipline consistently hail Thomason as one of the finest directors in the industry today. James Woods declares, "He's the only director in Hollywood I listen to!" Robin Williams once joked, "Does anybody else know you're funnier than me?" Anne Bancroft offered perhaps his highest praise, likening Thomason to the legendary Elia Kazan and commending his directorial artistry: "I've only ever said that to one other director, and that was Kazan!" Tracy Ullman sums it up simply: "He's an absolute genius!" His projects have collectively earned over five billion dollars worldwide.
And he's only beginning.
It would be difficult to watch a film or television show without seeing an actor who has worked with Thomason. His roster includes an unparalleled lineup of talent: Sir Ian McKellen, Sylvester Stallone, Robin Williams, Emily Blunt, John Krasinski, Uma Thurman, Robert Downey Jr., Sir Kenneth Branagh, Lauren Bacall, Danny DeVito, Sir Ben Kingsley, Anjelica Huston, Whoopi Goldberg, Kevin Kline, James Woods, Edward Norton, Pierce Brosnan, Christian Bale, Bette Midler, James Earl Jones, Jennifer Aniston, Vince Vaughn, Matthew Broderick, William Hurt, Nathan Lane, Kathleen Turner, George Carlin, John Cleese, Will Ferrell, Kelsey Grammer, Patrick Stewart, Sally Field, Glenn Close, Alec Baldwin, Laurence Fishburne, Demi Moore, Jay Leno, Anne Bancroft—and many more.
In 1991, Thomason established Disney Animation’s casting department, setting a new industry benchmark for casting and dialogue direction. As one of four senior executives, he was instrumental in elevating Disney’s direct-to-home entertainment division to a pinnacle of profitability, overseeing casting and dialogue direction for over 60 theatrical animated features, numerous direct-to-home releases, and thousands of episodes for Walt Disney Television Animation.
Among Thomason’s career highlights are Hayao Miyazaki’s "Spirited Away," winner of the 2003 Academy Award for Best Animated Feature and named the second-best film of the 21st century by The New York Times in 2017; the Academy Award-nominated "Redux Riding Hood"; and an Emmy Award for Disney’s "Teacher’s Pet," alongside seven additional Academy Award nominations. His Disney milestones include "The Lion King II: Simba’s Pride," the highest-grossing direct-to-video premiere of all time with over $465 million worldwide; "The Return of Jafar," credited as the groundbreaking success that launched the direct-to-video market, earning over $300 million—more than 100 times its production cost; "Disney’s Mickey MouseWorks," the first original Mickey Mouse television series in 50 years; and "Disney’s Hercules," which featured the largest single-season voice cast in television animation history, boasting over 150 celebrity guest stars. More recently, Thomason produced and co-directed the animated feature "Animal Crackers" (featuring Stallone, Emily Blunt, John Krasinski, Sir Ian McKellen, Danny DeVito, Raven-Symoné, Patrick Warburton, Gilbert Gottfried, Harvey Fierstein, and Wallace Shawn), which debuted on Netflix in July 2020. It reached #2 in the U.S. and ranked in the top 10 in 42 countries worldwide, becoming the #1 animated movie globally that summer.
Thomason’s remarkable journey began at Rollins-Joffe-Morra & Brezner, where he collaborated with icons such as Woody Allen, David Letterman, Robin Williams, Billy Crystal, and Martin Short. Before Disney, he directed theater and independent films and contributed significantly to the casting department at Hanna-Barbera. He has also taught at USC, UCLA, the SAG Conservatory, and the American Film Institute.
A graduate of the USC Drama School with dual bachelor's degrees in Theatre and Philosophy, Jamie Thomason resides in Topanga Canyon with his two greatest achievements—his beautiful daughters.
