EDINA, Minn. — Jim Mahoney was always a storyteller.
But when the Edina native moved to Los Angeles to work as a writer, he found it harder than he ever imagined.
“Making stuff on our own was sort of the only way to get ahead,” said Mahoney.
Mahoney made lots of stuff, for fifteen years writing project after project, much of it for free. He did commercials and tended a bar to pay bills. He got what he calls "little victories" along the way.
Until a big victory, when Mahoney and his friend wrote a hand drawn animated Christmas comedy called Klaus, the origin story of Santa Claus, which Netflix bought and released in November. Jim's family was at the premiere.
“My daughter was there, my sister came, and we all came out and we started to cry,” said Ginny Mahoney, Jim’s mother.
But the tears weren't over, since last month brought another surprise: Klaus is now up for an Oscar, nominated for best animated feature film.
“If they win that’s spectacular,” said Mike Mahoney, Jim’s father. “But it's the nomination and the recognition that I think is so exciting.”
So exciting, and so surprising, a story so good it's almost like a movie.
“We knew we had something fun, but going to where it went we never would have expected,” said Jim. “It's sort of surreal.”
Minnesota native co-writes animated feature film 'Klaus'
'Klaus' is up for an Academy Award Sunday night.
Janel Klein caught up with Jim Mahoney and his extra proud parents.
