Walt disney biography. Walt Disney was an American motion-picture and television producer and showman, famous as a pioneer of cartoon films and as the creator of Disneyland. Who Was Walt Disney? Walter Elias "Walt" Disney was born on December 5, 1901, in Hermosa, Illinois. He and his brother Roy co-founded Walt Disney Productions, which became one of the best-known motion-picture production companies in the world. Disney was an innovative animator and created the cartoon character Mickey Mouse. He won 22 Academy Awards during his lifetime, and was the founder of theme parks Disneyland and Walt Disney World. When and Where Was Walt Disney Born? Walt Disney was born on December 5, 1901, in the Hermosa section of Chicago, Illinois. Walt Disney’s Wife In 1925, Disney hired an ink-and-paint artist named Lillian Bounds. After a brief courtship, the couple married. Family and Early Life Walt Disney was one of five children, four boys and a girl. His fat