Disney Legend Andreas Deja on Coming Full Circle with His Directorial Debut, ‘Mushka’
variety.comAnna Marie de la Fuente Sometimes dreams do come true. When Disney legend Andreas Deja was 11 years old, “The Jungle Book” played at his hometown in Germany and after watching it, he was hooked.
He remembers how it cast a spell on him and how he knew right there and then that he wanted to take part in the Disney magic.
With the help of his English teacher, he wrote to the Mouse House and to his surprise received a reply. Deja relates: “It basically said that if I was serious about the animation done at Disney, I first had to become an artist in my own right.” From that day on, he began his deep dive into the world of animation, poring over magazines, newspapers and books and later enrolling in art school.
While at school, he wrote to Eric Larson, one of the legendary Nine Old Men of Disney lore, who after looking at Deja’s work said he thought he “had what it took.” “So, without an actual job, in August 1980, at the age of 23, I moved to the U.S.
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