Philip Johnston (born October 26, 1971) is an American filmmaker and voice actor, best known as one of the writers for the Walt Disney Animation Studios films Wreck-It Ralph (2012), Zootopia (2016) and Ralph Breaks the Internet (2018), the latter of which he directed alongside Rich Moore and received an Academy Award nomination.
Early life and career Johnston was born in Minneapolis to Beverly & William Johnston. He was raised in Neenah, Wisconsin. His father was an Episcopal priest. When he was young, he received an annual pass that allowed him free entry into the Marcus Theatres, a Wisconsin-based theater chain, through a connection at his father's church. Johnston is a graduate of Neenah High School.
He graduated from the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 1994 with a degree in journalism. After graduation he worked in regional news television for nine years. His first job was as a weatherman in Rochester, Minnesota despite knowing nothing about meteorology. He then worked as a bureau reporter at the Omaha, Nebraska, ABC affiliate, KETV. Afterwards, he transferred to KARE station in Minneapolis.
Johnston graduated with a MFA in film from Columbia University School of the Arts' Film Program in 2004. He was classmates with Jennifer Lee, whom he later brought on to co-write Wreck-It Ralph with.
His short, Flightless Birds, about a community of five trying to save their town was shot in South Dakota.
After graduation, Johnston sold his first work to ABC. The half hour comedy, Life is Super, is about a woman who adopts several children and subsequently turning her experience into a podcast.
Johnston optioned his first feature script to ThinkFilm before it went bankrupt. Jeremy Orm Is a Pervert is about the intersection of a preacher's career and his son's pornography business. This was loosely based on his side hustle back in middle school selling pornographic magazines he acquired from upperclassmen to his classmates. He managed to buy a pair of Air Jordans with the profits before eventually getting the operation shut down by his parents.
His script for Cedar Rapids (2011) was included in the 2009 Black List (survey), a list voted by members of the entertainment industry for favorite, unproduced screenplays.
Personal life Johnston met his wife, Jill Cordes, while working as a reporter at KETV, Nebraska, where she was a morning anchor.
While attending Columbia, he lived in Brooklyn with his wife, Jill. He was neighbors with film critic Christy Lemire.
Filmography Feature films Year TitleDirector Writer Producer Other Voice Role Notes 2006 The Night Listener Assistant to Patrick Stettner 2007 Savage Grace Researcher 2010 Ghosts/Aliens Television Film 2011 Cedar Rapids 2012 Wreck-It Ralph Surge Protector 2014 A Merry Friggin' Christmas Credited as "Michael Brown" 2016 Zootopia Gideon Grey, Annoyed Citizen 2017 The Brothers Grimsby 2018 Ralph Breaks the Internet Surge Protector Song Lyrics: "A Place Called Slaughter Race", "In This Place", Creative Leadership 2025 The Twits Mr. Napkin
Short films Year TitleDirectorWriterProducerFilm EditorOther Role Notes 2004 A Thousand Words 2005 Two Men Rupture Chet Rimson (Radio Announcer) Flightless Birds 2007 Bomb 2013 Garlan Hulse: Where Potential Lives Garlan Hulse 2024 Dust Monster Special Thanks
Other credits Year Title Role 2016 Moana Creative Leadership 2018 Ralph Breaks the Internet 2019 Frozen II 2020 Borat Subsequent Moviefilm Special Thanks 2022 The Sea Beast 2025 Zootopia 2
Awards and nominations Year Award Category Nominated work Result Ref. 2004 WorldFest Houston Independent Student Film & Videos -Graduate Level Student Productions A Thousand Words 2012 Independent Spirit Awards Best First Screenplay Cedar Rapids 2013Annie AwardsWriting in an Animated Feature Production Wreck-It Ralph 2017Zootopia Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America Ray Bradbury Award 2018 Chicago Film Critics Association Awards Best Animated FeatureRalph Breaks the Internet Detroit Film Critics Society Best Animated Feature Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Awards Best Animated Feature 2019 Golden Globe Awards Best Animated Feature Film Alliance of Women Film Journalists Best Animated Feature Film Critics' Choice Awards Best Animated Feature Annie Awards Directing in a Feature Production Music in a Feature Production Writing in a Feature Production Satellite Awards Best Animated or Mixed Media Feature Academy Awards Best Animated Feature
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