Josie Trinidad

Josie Trinidad is an American storyboard artist, voice actress, screenwriter and director best known for her work at Walt Disney Animation Studios. She joined Disney in 2004, and worked on The Princess and the Frog, Tangled (2010), and Wreck-It Ralph (2012). She served as the co-head of story on Zootopia (2016) and was the head of story on Ralph Breaks the Internet (2018). She made her directorial debut with the television series Zootopia+.

Early life Josie Trinidad was born to Filipino immigrant parents in Los Angeles, California. Her father, a doctor, was born in Laguna, while her mother hailed from Ilocos Norte and worked as a nurse. During her early years, she frequently stayed in contact with her Filipino relatives. She explained, "I come home a lot. I still have couple of aunts in Mandaluyong, in San Juan and in Las Piñas. We are a very close family and we see each other often."

At eleven years old, Trinidad watched Robin Hood (1973) on videocassette and repeatedly paused the film so she could examine it frame by frame. "I realized, 'Oh my, those are drawings, she recalled. They're beautiful, hand-drawn images, and someone is behind that!' I was 11 years old and knew at that moment I wanted to be an animator." However, she admitted she grew up in a family that perceived art as more of a hobby than a viable career. Trinidad nevertheless stated: "What I did was I worked really hard and I made sure that I tried. At least I could say I tried to make it into animation. If it worked, great. If it didn't work, then maybe I was meant to do something else. But I never gave up."

A graduate of Adolfo Camarillo High School,

Career In 2004, Trinidad was hired by Walt Disney Animation Studios (then known as Walt Disney Feature Animation) as a story apprentice. She was enrolled in a six-month training program, where she was given storyboard tests assigned by mentors. There, she was the only person of Asian descent in the apprentice program. However, her experience with the film's directors Ron Clements and John Musker was pleasant, stating: "They threw me in the deep end ... They were really great." In that position, she held pitch meetings with a team of 12 to 15 story artists and hosted a smaller group during editorial meetings. By this point, Trinidad had stated the story team had become more racially diverse, with nearly half of the team being female.

Trinidad was tapped as the film's head of story for the 2018 sequel Ralph Breaks the Internet. Trent Correy had pitched the series as one of three pitches for potential Disney+ series. Trinidad, who had served as a story artist on the 2016 film, was originally set to direct only two episodes for the series. However, her excitement led to her co-directing the entire series alongside Correy. The series began streaming on November 9, 2022.

In August 2025, at the Destination D23 convention, it was announced that Trinidad and Jason Hand were directing an original animated feature titled Hexed. At CinemaCon 2026, the revised story was announced to focus on Billie, an impulsive teenage girl, who discovers magical abilities that transport her from suburbia into a witch realm called Hexe. Forced to team up with her cautious mother, Alice, the two uncover family secrets that could reshape the world of witches. It was also announced at the event that Fawn Veerasunthorn would now be directing the film with Hand, but Trinidad would still be present as the co-director of the film.

Personal life Trinidad lives in Los Angeles with her son.

Filmography Films

Shorts

Television series Year Title Director StoryWriter Notes 2022Zootopia+ 6 episodes