Alex Hirsch

Alexander Hirsch Bio

Alexander Hirsch (born June 18, 1985) is an American animator, writer, producer, and voice actor best known for creating Gravity Falls for Disney Channel and Disney XD. Born in Piedmont, California, he studied at the California Institute of the Arts, where he developed the creative foundation that launched his career in animation. His work has earned him BAFTA and Annie Awards, and he continues to write and develop animated content for television and streaming platforms.

Early Life and Background

Alexander Hirsch was born alongside his twin sister Ariel on June 18, 1985, in Piedmont, California. His father is Jewish, though he was raised agnostic and celebrated both Christmas and Hanukkah. Between the ages of 9 and 13, Hirsch and his sister spent summers with their great-aunt at her cabin in the woods. These experiences later inspired the fictional town of Gravity Falls. He attended Piedmont High School, where as a junior in 2002, he won the annual Bird Calling Contest and appeared on the Late Show with David Letterman.

Hirsch went on to study at the California Institute of the Arts, where he created multiple short films including his senior project Off The Wall and Cuddle Bee Hugs N’Such with Adrian Molina. The latter was chosen by Nicktoons Network for their series Shorts in a Bunch. He spent the summer of 2006 in Portland, Oregon, storyboarding for Laika. He graduated in 2007 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree.

Path to Animation

After graduating from CalArts, Hirsch joined Cartoon Network as a writer and storyboard artist for The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack. On the show, he worked alongside future creators J.G. Quintel, Pendleton Ward, and Patrick McHale. Following his work on Flapjack, he developed the pilot for Disney Channel’s Fish Hooks with Maxwell Atoms and Justin Roiland. These formative years established his reputation for inventive storytelling and laid the groundwork for his breakthrough series.

Alexander Hirsch Career

Early Career (2008–2012)

Hirsch served as a writer and storyboard artist for The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack on Cartoon Network. He collaborated with future animation luminaries including Pendleton Ward, who was his writing partner on the series. Following Flapjack, he contributed to developing the pilot for Fish Hooks at Disney Channel alongside Maxwell Atoms and Justin Roiland.

Breakthrough (2012–2016)

In 2012, Hirsch created Gravity Falls for Disney Channel. The animated series premiered in June 2012 with a voice cast including Jason Ritter, Kristen Schaal, and Hirsch himself voicing multiple characters. The show was later moved to Disney XD in 2014. Over its two-season run, Hirsch voiced Grunkle Stan, Soos Ramirez, Old Man McGucket, Bill Cipher, and various other characters. The series concluded in February 2016.

Gravity Falls received widespread critical acclaim and was recognized with several prestigious awards. The show won a BAFTA Children’s Award for Best Animated Series and an Annie Award for Best Animated TV/Broadcast Production in 2015. It was also nominated for a Peabody Award in 2016. Hirsch ended the series to pursue new creative projects.

Notable Works and Milestones

Gravity Falls stands as Hirsch’s signature achievement, celebrated for its intricate mysteries and memorable characters. In July 2016, Hirsch hosted a global treasure hunt called the Cipher Hunt, with clues hidden across the United States, Japan, and Russia. Fans discovered the Bill Cipher statue in Reedsport, Oregon, after two weeks. That same year, he co-authored Gravity Falls: Journal 3, which debuted as a number one New York Times Best Seller and remained on the list for 47 weeks. A special limited edition was released in June 2017 with 10,000 copies available. In February 2018, he announced Gravity Falls: Lost Legends through a Twitter puzzle campaign, which also became a New York Times Best Seller.

Continued Work (2016–Present)

Hirsch has contributed voice work to various animated projects including Phineas and Ferb, Rick and Morty, and The Owl House, where he voices King, Hooty, and additional characters. He was briefly in negotiations to co-write the live-action Pokemon film Detective Pikachu but later clarified he had no involvement. He served as an uncredited story contributor to Sony’s Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse in 2018.

In August 2018, Hirsch signed a multi-year development deal with Netflix for an adult animated series. As of 2022, the project remains under NDA protection with no announcement date. He co-executive produced Inside Job with creator Shion Takeuchi, which premiered on Netflix in October 2021. The series was cancelled in January 2023 after two seasons.

In 2024, Hirsch wrote The Book of Bill, a Gravity Falls novel targeted at adult readers. The book is written from Bill Cipher’s perspective and debuted as both an Amazon and number one New York Times Best Seller.

Alexander Hirsch Award Nominations

Throughout his career, Hirsch has received multiple award nominations for his work in animation. Gravity Falls earned nominations for several prestigious awards, including a Peabody Award in 2016. His work has been recognized by major industry organizations for its innovation and storytelling excellence.

Alexander Hirsch Awards Won

Hirsch has won major industry awards for Gravity Falls. The series earned him the BAFTA Children’s Award for Best Animated Series and the Annie Award for Best Animated TV/Broadcast Production, both in 2015.

Alexander Hirsch Family

Alexander Hirsch has a twin sister named Ariel Hirsch. She served as the inspiration for the character Mabel Pines in Gravity Falls. Ariel, like Mabel, wore distinctive sweaters and had different crushes each week during her childhood.

Personal Life

Gravity Falls drew heavily from Hirsch’s childhood experiences and his relationship with his twin sister. The character Mabel Pines was inspired by Ariel, who wore wacky sweaters and had new crushes every week. Dipper Pines was inspired by Hirsch’s own childhood memories, including his attempts to teach himself backward speech by reversing recordings of his voice. Grunkle Stan was inspired by Hirsch’s grandfather, who enjoyed telling tall tales and playing pranks.

Hirsch was in a relationship with The Owl House creator Dana Terrace from 2015 until approximately April 2022. Hirsch has been publicly supportive of LGBTQ+ representation in animation, having previously been prohibited from including explicitly LGBTQ+ characters in Gravity Falls. He has criticized Disney for failing to adequately support queer content in their programming.