About Cy Young
Lived 1900 – 1964 (aged 63). Cy Young was an American and Chinese animator, known for Walt Disney Animation Studios.
Cyrus "Cy" Young (; March 7, 1897 – January 16, 1964) was a Chinese-American special effects animator, best known for his work for The Walt Disney Company.
Young was brother of Chinese politician Yang Qianli (father of Hong Kong director Evan Yang), architect Yang Xiliu (S. J. Young), Entrepreneur Yang Xiren and Yang Renlan (mother of sociologist Fei Xiaotong). He had works in China called Pause and New Year. Young's first work in United States was as lead animator on the 1931 short "Mendelssohn's Spring Song", a project completed while he was a student in New York City. Disney was so impressed with his work that he hired him to be head of the new special effects animation department and he partnered with animator Ugo D'Orsi.
Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston wrote in their book Disney Animation: The Illusion of Life; "Through the entire thirties, the entire Effects Department consisted of only two men: Ugo D'Orsi, a straightforward, stubborn, and dedicated Italian, and Cy Young...quiet and sensitive...who loved to play the bass fiddle as a hobby. ... Since [D'Orsi and Young] did most of the careful work themselves, they needed only a single assistant between them." The department's first major project was Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Young also worked on Fantasia and Dumbo. He was an uncredited animator on Bambi (1942).
Young left the studio after the 1941 Disney animators' strike and worked as a staff artist and clerk at the Air Force, where he worked on various projects. On January 16, 1964, he died from barbiturate poisoning.
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Important facts
People in Cy Young's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Cy Young's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Cy Young?
American animator
When was Cy Young born?
Cy Young was born on 22 February 1900 in Suzhou.
When did Cy Young die?
Cy Young died on 16 January 1964 in United States.
What was Cy Young's occupation?
Cy Young was an animator.
What was Cy Young known for?
Cy Young was known for Walt Disney Animation Studios.
What nationality was Cy Young?
Cy Young was American and Chinese.
Sources & further reading
· DBpedia: Cy Young (animator)
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Cy Young. https://biography.guide/cy-young-animator/
MLA: "Cy Young." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/cy-young-animator/.
Chicago: "Cy Young." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/cy-young-animator/.
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