---
name: "David Silverman"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/david-silverman"
fi1m_id: "david-silverman"
imdb_id: "nm0798899"
tmdb_id: 197
wikidata_id: "Q919608"
roles: ["Director","Writer"]
born: "15 March 1957"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 5
average_fi1m_score: 81
average_as: "director"
average_over: 3
updated: "2026-10-22T03:19:50.895605+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# David Silverman

## Identity

David Silverman

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/david-silverman
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** david-silverman
- **IMDb ID:** nm0798899
- **TMDB ID:** 197
- **Wikidata ID:** Q919608
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Silverman_(animator), https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q919608, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0798899/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/197

Director and writer. Born 15 March 1957 in New York City, New York, USA.

## Details

- **Work:** Director, Writer
- **Born:** 15 March 1957, New York City, New York, USA
- **Active:** 1989–present
- **Titles on Fi1m:** 5: 3 directing, 1 writing, 1 crew
- **Frequently works with:** [Al Jean](https://film.one/person/al-jean.md), [James L. Brooks](https://film.one/person/james-l-brooks.md), [Nancy Cartwright](https://film.one/person/nancy-cartwright.md), [Yeardley Smith](https://film.one/person/yeardley-smith.md), [Dan Castellaneta](https://film.one/person/dan-castellaneta.md), [Matt Groening](https://film.one/person/matt-groening.md), [Matt Selman](https://film.one/person/matt-selman.md), [Christine Nangle](https://film.one/person/christine-nangle.md)
- **Academy Awards:** 1 Oscar nomination
- **Average Fi1m score:** 81, as director, over 3 titles
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1980s 88 (1), 2000s 73 (4)
- **Score spread:** 2 at 80+, 1 at 60–79, 0 under 60
- **Genres:** Animation 3, Comedy 3, Family 2, Fantasy 1
- **Screen time:** 3 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $1,107m across 2 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Silverman_(animator), https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q919608, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0798899/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/197

## Streaming the US now

- **Disney+:** [*The Simpsons*](https://film.one/tv/the-simpsons.md) (88), [*The Simpsons Movie*](https://film.one/film/the-simpsons-movie.md) (70)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Fi1m on David Silverman

> David Silverman gives cartoon characters feelings they cannot quite conceal, even when they are shouting. We rate him highly for the physical comedy of *The Simpsons*, where a held expression can be as funny as a line.

In *The Simpsons* (1989), a held expression can supply the objection nobody says aloud, while a change of pose reveals dwindling confidence. This is the part of David Silverman's work we value most: the drawing continues the performance after the dialogue stops. We laughed at those silent reactions because they let us notice the characters' discomfort without another line explaining it. Silverman is good at making that discomfort legible. He can also let a character shout and flail without losing the feeling behind the movement.

His work on the original *The Simpsons* shorts for *The Tracey Ullman Show* began in 1987. He helped establish the rules for drawing the characters, then served as supervising animation director through the series' first eight seasons. The early work could look rough, and we would not pretend that every drawing was equally assured. From the second season onwards, Homer's rants and fits were among the difficult scenes entrusted to him. Exaggeration works here because the anger or panic remains easy to read.

It would be foolish to credit him with every successful pause. Brad Bird is another director who makes the animation count, while editors Michael Bridge and Don Barrozo help shape the timing. At its sharpest, the programme lets a reaction register without dragging out the joke. These decisions keep crowded exchanges clear and leave the characters funny even when nobody is speaking. Our affection for the programme still comes with a limit: there is no need to watch every episode.

The move into features included co-directing *Monsters, Inc.* (2001) alongside Lee Unkrich, then directing the 2007 film adaptation of *The Simpsons*. The latter carried the series' drawing style into a cinema feature, a sensible priority for someone who had helped establish it. *Maggie Simpson in 'The Longest Daycare'* (2012) brought further work with those characters and experimentation with 3D techniques. Our strongest recommendation rests on the television work, where small decisions about faces and timing repay attention. For an introduction, watch *The Simpsons* and keep an eye on the character who is not speaking.

## Biography

David Silverman is an American animator, director and writer. He was born on 15 March 1957 in New York City and studied at the University of California, Los Angeles, where he received BA and MFA degrees.

Silverman has worked on *The Simpsons* since its inception, animating all of the original short cartoons that appeared on *The Tracey Ullman Show*. He has directed numerous episodes of the series, served as supervising director for several seasons, and directed *The Simpsons Movie* (2007). He has also contributed as a writer on the show.

His other credits include co-directing *Monsters, Inc.* (2001) and serving as story consultant on *Ice Age* (2002). He received an Academy Award nomination for the short *Maggie Simpson in "The Longest Daycare"* (2012).

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com.*

## On Fi1m (5)

### Directed (3) — the average rests on these

- *The Simpsons Movie* (2007), Fi1m 70, Director — [page](https://film.one/film/the-simpsons-movie.md)
- *Monsters, Inc.* (2001), Fi1m 86, as Additional Voices (voice) — [page](https://film.one/film/monsters-inc.md)
- *The Simpsons* (1989), Fi1m 88, Director, Writer — [page](https://film.one/tv/the-simpsons.md)

### Wrote (1)

- *Ice Age* (2002), Fi1m 73, Story Consultant — [page](https://film.one/film/ice-age.md)

### Crew (1)

- *Robots* (2005), Fi1m 62, Additional Storyboarding — [page](https://film.one/film/robots-2005.md)

## Complete filmography (36)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *Yellow Mirror* (2026), as (voice) · Consulting Producer
- *Simpsley* (2026), Consulting Producer
- *Extreme Makeover: Homer Edition* (2026), Consulting Producer
- *The Simpsons: O C'mon All Ye Faithful* (2024), Consulting Producer
- *The Most Wonderful Time of the Year* (2024), Director, Storyboard Artist
- *May the 12th Be with You* (2024), Director, Storyboard Artist
- *Maggie Simpson in "Rogue Not Quite One"* (2023), Director, Storyboard Artist
- *The Simpsons Meet the Bocellis in "Feliz Navidad"* (2022), Director
- *Werewolf by Night* (2022), as The Flaming Tuba
- *Welcome to the Club* (2022), Director
- *When Billie Met Lisa* (2022), Director
- *The Simpsons in Plusaversary* (2021), Director
- *Scooby-Doo, Where Are You Now!* (2021), Thanks
- *The Simpsons | Balenciaga* (2021), Director
- *The Good, the Bart, and the Loki* (2021), Director, Storyboard Artist
- *Maggie Simpson in "The Force Awakens from Its Nap"* (2021), Director
- *Extinct* (2021), as Cyclops / Donut Store Clerk (voice) · Director
- *Maggie Simpson in "Playdate with Destiny"* (2020), Storyboard Artist, Director, Writer
- *The Edge of Seventeen* (2016), Animation
- *Planet of the Couches* (2016), Director
- *Maggie Simpson in "The Longest Daycare"* (2012), Director
- *House of Lies* (2012), series, as David Silverman
- *The Simpsons Movie* (2007), Director — Fi1m 70, [page](https://film.one/film/the-simpsons-movie.md)
- *Robots* (2005), Additional Storyboarding — Fi1m 62, [page](https://film.one/film/robots-2005.md)
- *Ice Age* (2002), Story Consultant — Fi1m 73, [page](https://film.one/film/ice-age.md)
- *Monsters, Inc.* (2001), as Additional Voices (voice) · Co-Director, Additional Writing — Fi1m 86, [page](https://film.one/film/monsters-inc.md)
- *The Critic* (1994), series, as Visual Development
- *Eek! The Cat* (1992), series, Creator
- *The Simpsons* (1989), series, as David Silverman (voice) · Director, Writer, Main Title Designer, Consulting Producer, Producer — Fi1m 88, [page](https://film.one/tv/the-simpsons.md)
- *Propagandance* (1987), Animation
- *One Crazy Summer* (1986), Animation
- *Mariner Man* (1983), Camera Operator, Graphic Designer, Animation, Sound, Color Designer, Director
- *The Strange Case of Mr. Donnybrook's Boredom* (1981), Storyboard Artist, Animation, Director, Background Designer, Layout
- *Tom Waits for No One* (1979), Animation
- *The Pink Panther*, Producer
- *Facttracker*, Director

## Gallery

- ![David Silverman](https://film.one/media/person/61819/gallery-af52f48e31f8.jpg) David Silverman — Original uploader was en:User:Derdingle, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/ce/David_Silverman_in_2007-cropped.JPG?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![David Silverman (2008)](https://film.one/media/person/61819/gallery-639b9294be62.jpg) David Silverman (2008) — Eirik Solheim, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cc/David_Silverman.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Silverman at the 2014 SDCC](https://film.one/media/person/61819/gallery-c8371f810f74.jpg) Silverman at the 2014 SDCC — vagueonthehow, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f7/David_Silverman_2014.jpg/1280px-David_Silverman_2014.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![The Simpsons animation director David Silverman and Dominic Dobrzensky at SPARKCG keynote at the Roundhouse Community Arts & Recreation Centre in Vancouver. (2023)](https://film.one/media/person/61819/gallery-4c53ac304974.jpg) The Simpsons animation director David Silverman and Dominic Dobrzensky at SPARKCG keynote at the Roundhouse Community Arts & Recreation Centre in Vancouver. (2023) — Dominic Dobrzensky, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/69/David_Silverman_with_a_fan.jpg/1280px-David_Silverman_with_a_fan.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)

## Awards

### Academy Awards — 0 won, 1 nominated

- 2013: Best Animated Short Film (nominated), for *The Longest Daycare*

*From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.*

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/david-silverman