Anthony Leondis Bio
Anthony Leondis (born March 24, 1972) is an American animator, filmmaker and voice actor whose work spans direct-to-video features, theatrical animation and short-form franchise projects. A California Institute of the Arts alumnus, Leondis began his career in story art before moving into writing and directing family-oriented animated films and shorts.
Leondis is best known for directing Lilo & Stitch 2: Stitch Has a Glitch (2005), the theatrical feature Igor (2008), the Kung Fu Panda short Secrets of the Masters (2011), and Sony Pictures Animation’s The Emoji Movie (2017). His career traces a path from story artist on major studio productions to credited director and screenwriter on both studio and independent animated releases.
Early Life and Background
Anthony Leondis was born in New York City on March 24, 1972. He is of Greek descent and is the son of a Greek Orthodox priest, a family background that shaped his early cultural identity while he pursued training in animation and storytelling.
Leondis attended the California Institute of the Arts, where his work attracted the attention of faculty and industry mentors. During his time at CalArts, professor Brenda Chapman offered him an internship opportunity that opened the door to feature animation work, leading to a full-time story artist position on The Prince of Egypt.
That early internship and the transition to full-time story work provided Leondis with practical experience on large-scale animated productions and introduced him to the collaborative production pipelines that define studio animation. Those formative experiences established the technical and narrative foundation he would use in later directing roles.
Path to Celebrity
Leondis’s path to wider recognition began in story departments on studio features. He worked as a story artist on projects including The Prince of Egypt and The Lion King II: Simba’s Pride, which demonstrated his facility with visual storytelling and character-driven sequence work.
From story art he moved into writing and producing contributions, co-writing the script for Kronk’s New Groove at DisneyToon Studios. That blend of story, writing and production responsibilities readied him to direct Lilo & Stitch 2 in 2005, his first credited directorial assignment and a step toward a public-facing career in animation.
Anthony Leondis Career
Early Career (1997–2004)
Leondis’s credited professional activity begins in 1997, when he worked in story departments for studio animation projects. His early credits and roles focused on storyboarding and story development, where he contributed visual structure and character work to major studio releases.
During this period he earned writing credits and development assignments, including co-writing on Kronk’s New Groove, which combined his story art background with screenwriting responsibilities. These early production roles established him as a creative who could bridge story, character and scripted structure in family entertainment.
Breakthrough (2005–2017)
Leondis made his directorial debut with Lilo & Stitch 2: Stitch Has a Glitch in 2005. The project was a notable step from story artist and writer to director on a franchise release, positioning him to lead production teams and manage character-driven sequels for established properties.
In 2008 he directed Igor, his first theatrical animated feature, released through Exodus Film Group. Igor marked a move into original theatrical storytelling and showcased Leondis’s interest in blending genre elements and family-friendly comedy in a feature-length format.
Leondis directed the Kung Fu Panda short Secrets of the Masters in 2011, working within an existing DreamWorks Animation franchise to craft a short-form narrative that extended a major studio property. Later, in 2017, he directed and co-wrote Sony Pictures Animation’s The Emoji Movie, a high-profile studio release developed from his pitch and co-written with Eric Siegel. The film was released on July 28, 2017 and drew significant public attention for its commercial performance and critical reception.
Notable Works and Milestones
Across his directing and writing credits, Leondis has been associated with both franchise continuations and original theatrical work. Notable milestones include his directorial debut on a Disney franchise sequel, moving to original features with Igor, contributing a franchise short for Kung Fu Panda and leading a major studio theatrical release with The Emoji Movie.
Anthony Leondis Awards Won
Anthony Leondis received two Golden Raspberry Awards in 2018 for his work on The Emoji Movie: Worst Director and Worst Screenplay, the latter shared with Eric Siegel and Mike White. Those awards are publicly recorded recognitions tied to the film’s critical reception following its 2017 release.
Family
Leondis’s family background includes Greek heritage and a father who served as a Greek Orthodox priest. Specific personal details such as parents’ names have not been provided in the verified source material, but his cultural and familial roots are a documented part of his biography.
Personal Life
Public records indicate that Leondis is publicly identified as gay. There are no verified public records included here identifying partners or children. Known public-facing activity shows that after The Emoji Movie he has been less active in credited studio production work, though he has continued to make occasional public appearances.
Leondis’s professional activity is documented as active from 1997 until 2017, a span that covers his early story work, writing contributions and directing assignments across direct-to-video and theatrical animation. Following the 2017 release of The Emoji Movie, reports indicate a reduction in credited production work while he remains a figure known for his contributions to contemporary animated family entertainment.