Kyle Balda

Kyle Balda (born March 9, 1971, in Tucson, Arizona) is an American animator and film director closely associated with modern family animation. He is widely recognized for helping shape Illumination’s bright, fast-paced comedic style across several of the studio’s biggest releases.

Balda rose to prominence as a co-director on The Lorax (2012) alongside Chris Renaud, then continued building the studio’s global franchise momentum with Minions (2015) and Despicable Me 3 (2017), co-directing both with Pierre Coffin. He later returned to the mischievous yellow characters as a co-director of Minions: The Rise of Gru (2022) with Brad Ableson and Jonathan del Val.

Before stepping into the director’s chair, Balda developed his craft in top-tier animation and visual effects environments, including work as an animator at Industrial Light & Magic. He also spent a period at Pixar, contributing to three of the studio’s films—experience that helped refine his storytelling instincts and character-driven approach.

In addition to directing, Balda has appeared in and contributed to projects in other capacities, including voice work such as additional voices in Minions, Despicable Me 3, and Minions: The Rise of Gru.