Mike Rianda
Introduction
Michael Rianda (born June 17, 1984) is an American cartoonist, director, screenwriter, and voice actor. He is known for his work on Gravity Falls as a creative director and writer for season 1, and creative consultant for season 2. He is also known for directing, co-writing, and co-starring his feature directorial debut The Mitchells vs. the Machines (2021), for which he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature.
Early life and education
Rianda was born on June 17, 1984, in Salinas, California. He attended the California Institute of the Arts after he "drew and said amusing things" in school, studying character animation. Rianda also started writing and directing two short films at the animation school titled Everybody Dies in 90 Seconds (2008) and Work (2010).
Career
He became a creative director and writer on the Emmy Award-winning Disney Channel animated television series Gravity Falls until his departure in 2013. Mike also voiced Lee, Thompson, Mr. Poolcheck, and additional voices. Rianda later returned and served as a creative consultant for its second season.
In 2021, he directed and co-wrote, along with Jeff Rowe, The Mitchells vs. the Machines, in which he also voiced Aaron Mitchell. The film was released on Netflix on April 30, 2021.
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Other | Voice | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | The Mitchells vs. the Machines | Yes | Yes | Yes | Aaron Mitchell / Talking Dog / Furbies / Wi-Fi Enthusiast | |
| 2023 | Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse | No | No | Yes | Ezekiel Sims / Spider-Therapist; cameo Production consultant |
|
| TBA | I, Chihuahua | No | Story | No | — |
Television
| Year | Title | Writer | Other | Voice | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012–2016 | Gravity Falls | Yes | Yes | Lee, Thompson, Mr. Poolcheck, Additional Voices | Creative director (season 1) Creative consultant (season 2) |
| 2021 | Inside Job | No | Yes | — | Consultant (episode: "Unpresidented") |
| 2022 | Amphibia | No | Yes | — | Special thanks (episode: "The Hardest Thing") |
Awards and nominations
| Association | Year | Category | Work | Result | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Academy Awards | 2022 | Best Animated Feature | The Mitchells vs. the Machines | Nominated | |
| Annie Awards | 2022 | Outstanding Achievement for Directing in an Animated Feature | The Mitchells vs. the Machines | Won | |
| 2022 | Outstanding Achievement in Writing for an Animated Feature | The Mitchells vs. the Machines | Won | ||
| Hollywood Critics Association Midseason Awards | 2022 | Best Filmmaker | The Mitchells vs. the Machines | Nominated | |
| 2022 | Best Screenplay | The Mitchells vs. the Machines | Won | ||
| Critics' Choice Movie Awards | 2022 | Best Animated Feature | The Mitchells vs. the Machines | Won | |
| British Academy Film Awards | 2022 | Best Animated Film | The Mitchells vs. the Machines | Nominated | |
| British Academy Children's Awards | 2022 | Best Feature Film | The Mitchells vs. the Machines | Nominated |