Jennifer Yuh Nelson Biography: Age, Net Worth, Career, Movies & TV Shows, Awards, Partner

Jennifer Yuh Nelson is an American storyboard artist, illustrator, and film and television director best known for directing the DreamWorks Animation hits Kung Fu Panda 2 and Kung Fu Panda 3. She became the first woman to solely direct a major Hollywood studio animated feature and the first Asian American to direct one.

She has also directed the live-action film The Darkest Minds and served as supervising director on the Emmy-winning Netflix series Love, Death & Robots.

Jennifer Yuh Nelson
Wiki Facts & About Data
Name:	Jennifer Yuh Nelson
Born:	7 May 1972 (age 54 years old)
Place of Birth:	South Korea
Nationality:	American
Parents:	Mr. and Mrs. Yuh
Siblings:	Catherine Yuh, Gloria Yuh
Spouse:	Thomas Nelson
Relationship:	Married
Occupation:	Storyboard artist, illustrator, film and television director
Net Worth:	$8 million

Early Life and Education

Jennifer Yuh Nelson was born on 7 May 1972 in South Korea. At the age of four she immigrated to the United States with her parents Mr. and Mrs. Yuh, and two older sisters, settling in Lakewood, California. Her mother was a painter, and the three sisters spent much of their childhood drawing together, often holding competitive “draw-offs” around the kitchen table.

She developed an early love of martial arts movies, action films, and anime. She followed her sisters to California State University, Long Beach, where she earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Illustration in 1994. She is of Korean origin and her religion is Christianity.

Career

Jennifer Yuh Nelson began her professional career in the mid-1990s as a cleanup artist at Jetlag Productions. She later worked at Hanna-Barbera and then as a storyboard artist and director on HBO’s animated series Todd McFarlane’s Spawn. In 1998 she joined DreamWorks Animation as a storyboard artist, contributing to Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron, Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas, and Madagascar.

She rose to Head of Story on the original Kung Fu Panda (2008) and directed its acclaimed opening sequence, earning an Annie Award for Best Storyboarding. DreamWorks then selected her to direct the sequel.

Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011) became a major critical and commercial success, grossing more than $665 million worldwide. Yuh Nelson made history as the first woman to solely direct a major studio animated feature and the first Asian American to do so. The film earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Animated Feature and an Annie Award for directing.

She returned to co-direct Kung Fu Panda 3 (2016). In 2018 she made her live-action directorial debut with the young-adult science-fiction film The Darkest Minds. More recently she has served as supervising director on Netflix’s anthology series Love, Death & Robots, winning consecutive Emmy Awards for Outstanding Short Form Animated Program.

Personal Life

Jennifer Yuh Nelson is married to Thomas Nelson, a fellow storyboard artist whom she met while working on the series Spawn. The couple maintains a relatively private life.

Filmography

• Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron (2002)
• Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas (2003)
• Madagascar (2005)
• Kung Fu Panda (2008)
• Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011)
• Kung Fu Panda 3 (2016)
• The Darkest Minds (2018)
• Love, Death & Robots (2019–present)

Net Worth

Jennifer Yuh Nelson has an estimated net worth of approximately $8 million. Her wealth has been built primarily through directing fees and residuals from the high-grossing Kung Fu Panda films, storyboarding and head-of-story roles at DreamWorks Animation, live-action directing work, and her contributions to the Emmy-winning series Love, Death & Robots.

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