Alex Hirsch facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Alex Hirsch
Hirsch in 2018
Born	Alexander Robert Hirsch (1985-06-18) June 18, 1985 (age 39) Piedmont, California, U.S.
Education	California Institute of the Arts (BFA)
Occupation	Animator writer producer voice actor
Years active	2002–present

Alexander Robert Hirsch (born June 18, 1985) is an American animator, writer, producer, and voice actor. He is most famous for creating the cartoon series Gravity Falls. This popular show was shown on Disney Channel and Disney XD.

In Gravity Falls, Alex Hirsch also lends his voice to several characters. These include Grunkle Stan, Soos Ramirez, and the villainous Bill Cipher. The show has won many awards, like the BAFTA and Annie Awards.

Alex Hirsch has also written several books related to Gravity Falls. In 2016, he helped write Gravity Falls: Journal 3. This book quickly became a No. 1 New York Times Best Seller. It stayed on the list for a long time. In 2018, he wrote Gravity Falls: Lost Legends, which also became a best-seller. His 2024 book, The Book of Bill, also topped best-seller lists.

Early Life and School

Alex Hirsch was born in California. His father is Jewish, but Alex grew up without a specific religion. He celebrated both Christmas and Hanukkah.

When he was between 9 and 13 years old, Alex and his twin sister spent summers with their great-aunt. They stayed at her cabin in the woods. These summer adventures later inspired the setting and stories of Gravity Falls.

He went to Piedmont High School. In 2002, when he was a junior, he won the school's Bird Calling Contest. He even appeared on the Late Show with David Letterman because of it.

After high school, Alex Hirsch attended the California Institute of the Arts (CalArts). There, he made many short films. His final student film, Off The Wall, mixed animation and live action. He graduated in 2007 with a degree in Fine Arts.

Career in Animation

Alex Hirsch with a Grunkle Stan puppet at San Diego Comic-Con in 2013

After college, Alex Hirsch's first job was at Cartoon Network. He worked as a writer and storyboard artist for The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack. He worked with other talented artists there.

Later, he helped create the pilot episode for the Disney Channel series Fish Hooks. He worked with Maxwell Atoms and Justin Roiland on this show.

Creating Gravity Falls

In 2012, Alex Hirsch created Gravity Falls for Disney Channel. The show is set in the mysterious town of Gravity Falls, Oregon. It first aired in June 2012.

Alex Hirsch voiced several characters in the series. These included Grunkle Stan, Soos Ramirez, Old Man McGucket, and Bill Cipher. In 2014, the show moved to Disney XD.

Gravity Falls won a BAFTA Children's Award and an Annie Award in 2015. It was also nominated for other awards. Alex Hirsch decided to end Gravity Falls in February 2016 to work on new projects.

Books and Other Projects

In July 2016, Alex Hirsch organized a worldwide scavenger hunt. It was called the "Cipher Hunt" for Gravity Falls fans. Clues were hidden in places like the United States, Japan, and Russia. Fans worked together to find a statue of the character Bill Cipher. After two weeks, the statue was found in Reedsport, Oregon.

This hunt happened around the same time his book, Gravity Falls: Journal 3, was released. The book became a No. 1 New York Times Best Seller. A special edition of the book was released in 2017. It included cool features like blacklight writing and hidden notes. As of 2024, Gravity Falls: Journal 3 has sold over 1.3 million copies.

In 2018, Alex Hirsch announced another Gravity Falls book. It was a graphic novel called Gravity Falls: Lost Legends; 4 All-New Adventures!. This book also became a New York Times Best Seller.

Beyond Gravity Falls, Alex Hirsch has done voice acting for other shows. These include Phineas and Ferb and Rick and Morty. He also contributed to the story for the animated Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse movie in 2018.

In 2018, Alex Hirsch signed a deal with Netflix. He is working on an animated series for adults, but details are kept secret for now.

He also worked as a co-executive producer for the Netflix series Inside Job. The show premiered in 2021, but was later cancelled in 2023.

Alex Hirsch is also the voice of King and Hooty in the Disney Channel animated series The Owl House. This show was created by Dana Terrace and premiered in 2020.

In 2024, Alex Hirsch wrote The Book of Bill. This Gravity Falls novel is for an older audience. It tells the story from Bill Cipher's point of view. The book became a best-seller on Amazon and the New York Times list.

Personal Life and Inspirations

Gravity Falls was greatly inspired by Alex Hirsch's own childhood. It reflects his relationship with his twin sister, Ariel Hirsch. Many real-life experiences made their way into the show. For example, he grew up in Piedmont and went trick-or-treating with his sister.

The character Dipper Pines is based on Alex Hirsch's memories of being a kid. He described himself as a "neurotic kid" who carried many disposable cameras. He even tried to teach himself to speak backward.

Mabel Pines, Dipper's twin sister, was inspired by Ariel. Alex Hirsch said Ariel "really did wear wacky sweaters." She also had a different crush every week, just like Mabel. Ariel always wanted a pet pig when she was little, which is why Mabel gets a pet pig in the series.

The character of Grunkle Stan was inspired by Alex Hirsch's own grandfather, also named Stan. His grandfather was known for telling tall tales and playing tricks.

Alex Hirsch has spoken about wanting more diverse characters in cartoons. He has praised The Owl House for including LGBTQ+ characters. He has also shared his wish to have included more openly diverse characters in Gravity Falls.

Filmography

Film

Television

Video games

Web

Nominations and Awards

See also

In Spanish: Alex Hirsch para niños