Christopher "Chris" Miller is an American voice actor, animator, director, screenwriter, and storyboard artist. He is most famous for directing Shrek the Third and Puss in Boots (for which he received his first Academy Award nomination) and for voicing Kowalski the penguin in the Madagascar film series.
Early life[]
He studied animation at the California Institute of Arts.
Career[]
Miller joined DreamWorks Animation in 1998 as a storyboard artist for the studio's first animated comedy, Antz.[2] Miller, again working as a story artist for Shrek, also wrote additional dialogue and provided the voice of the Magic Mirror and Geppetto characters for the film. He then served as head of story for Shrek 2.[2] Mr. Miller went on to co-direct Shrek the Third along with Raman Hui, writing the screenplay for the film, and providing the voice of the puppet master and the mascot.[3] He also provided the voice for Kowalski in Madagascar (and its video game), The Madagascar Penguins in a Christmas Caper, Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa, Merry Madagascar and Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted.
Miller has worked on a wide array of features, commercials, videos and internet projects, including a short for Steven Spielberg entitled "Steven's Dream". His commercial work includes spots for Coca-Cola, Canon, The Comedy Channel and Fila, for which he won a Clio Award for best animated commercial.[2]
In an interview with Robert K. Elder for The Film That Changed My Life, Miller attributes his success in film to Sleeper. "I would be penniless and drunk on the corner, begging for cash, if I had not seen the film Sleeper. I guarantee you."[4]
Miller is also a longtime collaborator with the Helios Dance Theater, for which he has created sets, films and projections on numerous occasions.[2] His wife Laura Gorenstein Miller, is the founder and director of that same company.[5] Chris and Laura also collaborated on Puss in Boots, for which Laura worked as a dance choreographer.[6]
Filmography[]
Miller with Salma Hayek and Puss at a premiere of Puss in Boots in Paris
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | The Thing What Lurked in the Tub | Lugmeyer | |
| Lea Press on Limbs | Director | ||
| 1989 | The Cellar | Willy Cashen | |
| 1992 | Cool World | Key clean-up artist | |
| 1997 | Officer Buckle and Gloria | Storyboard artist | |
| 1998 | Antz | Story artist | |
| 2001 | Shrek | Geppetto, Magic Mirror | Story artist/additional dialogue |
| 2003 | Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas | Tower Guard | Additional story artist |
| 2004 | Shrek 2 | Humphries, Magic Mirror | Head of story/additional dialogue |
| Shark Tale | Additional storyboard artist | ||
| 2005 | Madagascar | Kowalski | Story artist |
| 2007 | Shrek the Third | Puppet Master, Announcer, Mascot, Singing Villain | Director/screenplay |
| 2008 | Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa | Kowalski | |
| 2009 | Monsters vs. Aliens | Advisor Cole, Army Commander Jones | Additional story artist |
| 2010 | Shrek Forever After | Royal Messenger, Magic Mirror, Geppetto | |
| 2011 | Puss in Boots | Little Boy Blue, Friar Miller, Prison Guard, Manual, Rafael | Director |
| 2012 | Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted | Kowalski | |
| 2013 | Turbo | Tour Bus Driver | |
| 2014 | The Animals in the Attic | CG-animation director | |
| Penguins of Madagascar | Kowalski | ||
| 2017 | The Boss Baby | Captain Ross | |
| Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie | Nobel Audience Member | ||
| Tom the Hand: The Movie | Director | ||
| 2018 | Tom the Hand 2: Tom Returns | ||
| TBA |
Television[]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Shrek the Halls | Dialogue director | |
| 2009 | Merry Madagascar | Kowalski | |
| 2013 | Phineas and Ferb | Additional Voices |
References[]
- ↑ Belloni, Matthew. "THR's Animation Roundtable: 7 Top Filmmakers Debate R-Rated Toons and If 'Tintin' Should Be Eligible for Ani Oscar", December 22, 2011. Retrieved on December 22, 2011.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 "Shrek the Third: Creative Team". Emanuel Levy. http://www.emanuellevy.com/profile/shrek-the-third-creative-team-8/. Retrieved September 20, 2012.
- ↑ Chris Miller (VII) on IMDb
- ↑ Miller, Chris. Interview by Robert K. Elder. The Film That Changed My Life. By Robert K. Elder. Chicago: Chicago Review Press, 2011. N. p244. Print.
- ↑ "Directors Bio". Helios Dance Theater. Archived from the original on March 8, 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20120308174812/http://www.heliosdancetheater.org/director.html. Retrieved September 20, 2012.
- ↑ skwiglymagazine. "Puss in Boots - Dance Off Scene 2011 - UK release (HD)", November 13, 2012. Retrieved on September 20, 2012.
External links[]
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Chris Miller. |