Eric Darnell — American Actor born on December 29, 1960,

Eric Darnell is an American director, writer, songwriter, animator and occasional voice actor. He is best known for co-directing Antz with Tim Johnson, as well as co-directing and co-writing Madagascar, Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa and Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted with Tom McGrath... (wikipedia)

I loved to watch cartoons and even made little stop-motion films in the backyard. At the time, I never really thought that it was something you could do for a living; it never actually hit me that people do that sort of thing or I would be capable of it.
We're lucky enough, especially in these 'Madagascar' films, to be working with some of the best people in the industry, who are not only great actors, but great comedians and improvisers and filmmakers. And they then become a part of creating their characters.
I studied science and journalism at the University of Colorado and then got interested in experimental film there and started doing my own films.