Don Hertzfeldt, 1976
Writers · August 1, 1976
Don Hertzfeldt
★ HOW OLD IS DON HERTZFELDT?
Don Hertzfeldt is 49 years old, born August 1, 1976 in United States · Leo.
#1405of 6,339 Writers on HotBirthdays
★ LEDE
About
Don Hertzfeldt makes stick-figure animations that critics have called some of the most influential ever created. Born in 1976, the American animator and screenwriter is a two-time Academy Award nominee best known for It's Such a Beautiful Day, the World of Tomorrow series, ME, and Rejected. Nine of his shorts have competed at Sundance—a festival record—and he's the only filmmaker to win its Grand Jury Prize for Short Film twice. As a Leo born in August, Hertzfeldt channels the sign's theatrical intensity into deeply philosophical, darkly funny films.
★ FEATURE
Biography
Don Hertzfeldt turns minimalist animation into something critics describe as "simultaneously tragic and hilarious and philosophical and crude and deeply sad and fatalist and yet stubbornly, resolutely hopeful". Born August 1, 1976, in the US, the animator and screenwriter is a two-time Academy Award nominee whose breakthrough came with It's Such a Beautiful Day and the World of Tomorrow series, both now regarded as among the best animated films of all time. His shorts ME and Rejected cemented his status as an independent filmmaker working entirely on his own terms. In 2014, his work appeared on The Simpsons. His latest feature, Paper Trail, premiered at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival and won the Special Jury Award for Creative Vision. As a screenwriter and animator, Hertzfeldt works across multiple media to tell deeply personal, often surreal stories. His Leo birth sign (August 1) channels the sign's natural theatricality into philosophical dark comedy. According to animation historian Stephen Cavalier, Hertzfeldt represents "either a unique phenomenon or perhaps an example of a new way forward for individual animators surviving independently on their own terms," attracting fanatical support from student and alternative audiences. With a Life Path Number of 5, Hertzfeldt embodies the restless innovation and creative evolution that define his career.
★ SIDEBAR
Trivia
- Nine of Hertzfeldt's short films have competed at the Sundance Film Festival—a festival record.
- He is the only filmmaker ever to win the Sundance Film Festival's Grand Jury Prize for Short Film twice.
- In 2020, GQ described his body of work as balancing tragedy, humor, philosophy, crudeness, sadness, fatalism, and stubborn hopefulness in a single phrase.
★ SIDEBAR
Numerology
LIFE-PATH NUMBER
The Free Spirit
Restless and adventurous. Don Hertzfeldt reinvent often: new sounds, new platforms, new cities. Expect career pivots over decades.
★ ALL LIFE-PATH 5 CELEBS →★ ASTROLOGY
Birthday compatibility
By Chinese zodiac — san-he trine for best matches, opposing pair for the most friction-prone.
HIGHLY COMPATIBLE
- Seol In-ahRat · 1996
- Rae Lil BlackRat · 1996
- IsaacMonkey · 2004
- Yung GravyRat · 1996
- Robbie UreMonkey · 2004
CHALLENGING
- Alexander GouldDog · 1994
- Jean-Carl Boucher
★ FAQ
Frequently asked
- How old is Don Hertzfeldt?
- Don Hertzfeldt is 49 years old (born August 1, 1976).
- When is Don Hertzfeldt's birthday?
- Don Hertzfeldt was born on August 1, 1976.
- What is Don Hertzfeldt's zodiac sign?
- Don Hertzfeldt is a Leo, born August 1, 1976.
- What is Don Hertzfeldt's Chinese zodiac sign?
- Don Hertzfeldt was born in 1976, the year of the Fire Dragon.
- Where is Don Hertzfeldt from?
- Don Hertzfeldt is from United States.
- What does Don Hertzfeldt do?
- Don Hertzfeldt is a writer.
- Is Don Hertzfeldt still alive?
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