John Lasseter

John Alan Lasseter is an American animator, director, producer, screenwriter, the former Chief Creative Officer (CCO) of Pixar, Walt Disney Animation Studios, and Disneytoon Studios, and former Principal Creative Advisor (PCA) for Walt Disney Imagineering.
Lasseter's first job was at the Walt Disney Company, where he became an animator. Next, he joined Lucasfilm, where he worked on the then-groundbreaking inception of CGI animation with the Pixar computer. After the Graphics Group of the Computer Division of Lucasfilm was sold to Steve Jobs. In 1986, he, Jobs, and Ed Catmull founded Pixar Animation Studios. Lasseter oversaw all of Pixar's films and associated projects as executive producer. He also directed Toy Story, A Bug's Life, Toy Story 2, Cars, and Cars 2.
==Biography==
===Early years===
Lasseter was born in Hollywood, California. His mother, Jewell Mae (née Risley), was an art teacher at Bell Gardens High School, and his father, Paul Eual Lasseter, was a parts manager at a Chevrolet dealership. Lasseter grew up in Whittier, California with one brother and two sisters. His mother's profession contributed to his growing preoccupation with animation. He often drew cartoons during church services at the Church of Christ his family attended. As a child, Lasseter would regularly race home from school to watch Chuck Jones cartoons on television. While in high school, he read The Art of Animation by Bob Thomas. The book covered the history of Disney animation and the making of a book about Sleeping Beauty, which made Lasseter realize he wanted to do animation himself. When he saw Disney's 1963 film The Sword in the Stone, he finally made the decision that he should become an animator.
His education began at Pepperdine University. It was the alma mater of both his parents and his siblings. However, he heard of a new program at California Institute of the Arts and decided to leave Pepperdine to follow his dream of becoming an animator. His mother further encouraged him to take up a career in animation, and in 1975, he enrolled as the second student in a new animation course at the California Institute of the Arts. Lasseter was taught by three members of Disney's "Nine Old Men" team of veteran animators – Eric Larson, Frank Thomas, and Ollie Johnston – his classmates included Brad Bird, John Musker, Henry Selick, and Tim Burton. During his time there, he produced two animated shorts Lady and the Lamp (1979) and Nitemare (1980), both of which won the student .
===First years at Disney===
Upon graduation, Lasseter joined The Walt Disney Company and was quickly promoted to Jungle Cruise skipper at Disneyland in Anaheim. Lasseter later obtained a job as an animator at Walt Disney Feature Animation in 1979, but felt something was missing; after 101 Dalmatians, which in his opinion was the film where Disney had reached its highest plateau, the studio had lost momentum and was criticized for often repeating itself without adding any new ideas or innovations.
Around 1981, he coincidentally came across some video tapes from one of the then new computer-graphics conferences, who showed some of the very beginnings of computer animation, primarily floating spheres and such, which he experienced as a revelation. But it wasn't until shortly after, when he was invited by his friends Jerry Rees and Bill Kroyer, while working on Mickey's Christmas Carol, to come and see the first lightcycle sequences for an upcoming film entitled Tron, featuring (then) state-of-the-art computer generated imagery, that he really saw the huge potential of this new technology in animation. Up to that time, the studio had used a multiplane camera to add depth to its animation. Lasseter realized that computers could be used to make films with three dimensional backgrounds where traditionally animated characters could interact to add a new, visually stunning depth that had not been conceived before.
Later, he and Glen Keane talked about how great it would be to make an animated feature where the background was computer animated, and then showed Keane the book The Brave Little Toaster by Thomas M. Disch, which he thought would be a good candidate for the film. Keane agreed, but first they decided to do a short test film to see how it worked out, and chose , a decision based on the fact that Disney had considered producing a feature based on the works of Maurice Sendak. Satisfied with the result, Lasseter, Keane, and Thomas L. Wilhite went on with the project, especially Lasseter who dedicated himself to it, while Keane eventually went on to work with The Great Mouse Detective.
Lasseter and his colleagues unknowingly stepped on some of their direct superiors' toes by circumventing them in their enthusiasm to get the project into motion. During a pitch meeting for the film to two of them, animation administrator Ed Hansen, and head of Disney studios, Ron W. Miller, the project was cancelled, due to lack of perceived cost benefits for the mix of traditional and computer animation. A few minutes after the meeting, Lasseter was summoned by Hansen to his office, where John was told that his employment in the Walt Disney Studios had been terminated. The Brave Little Toaster would later become a 2D animated feature film directed by one of John's friends, Jerry Rees, and some of the staff of Pixar would be involved in the film alongside Lasseter.
===Lucasfilm/Pixar===
While putting together a crew for the planned feature, he had made some contacts in the computer industry, among them Alvy Ray Smith and Ed Catmull at Lucasfilm Computer Graphics Group. After being fired, Lasseter visited a computer graphics conference at the Queen Mary in Long Beach, where he met and talked to Catmull again. Before the day was over, Lasseter had made a deal to work with Catmull and his colleagues on a project that resulted in their first computer animated short The Adventures of André and Wally B. Because Catmull was not allowed to hire animators, he was given the title "Interface Designer"; "Nobody knew what that was but they didn't question it in budget meetings". The short turned out to be more revolutionary than Lasseter first had visualized before he joined Lucasfilm. His original idea had been to create only the backgrounds on computers, but in the final short everything was computer animated, including the characters. After this short CGI film, things would continue to grow until it became Toy Story, the first ever computer-animated feature film.
Due to George Lucas's financially crippling divorce, he was forced to sell off Lucasfilm Computer Graphics. It was acquired by Steve Jobs in 1986, and became Pixar. Lasseter oversaw all of Pixar's films and associated projects as executive producer. He also personally directed Toy Story, A Bug's Life, Toy Story 2, Cars, and Cars 2.
He has won two (Tin Toy), as well as a (Toy Story). Lasseter has been nominated on four other occasions – in the category of Animated Feature, for both Monsters, Inc. (2001) and Cars (2006), in the Original Screenplay category for Toy Story (1995) and in the Animated Short category for Luxo, Jr. (1986), while the short Knick Knack (1989) was selected by Terry Gilliam as one of the ten best animated films of all time.
Lasseter received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Hollywood, California on November 1, 2011. It is located at 6834 Hollywood Boulevard.
Lasseter was also the recipient of the Austin Film Festival's 2011 Extraordinary Contribution to Filmmaking Award.
===Back at Disney===
Disney purchased Pixar in April 2006, and Lasseter was named chief creative officer of both Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios. He was also named principal creative advisor at Walt Disney Imagineering, where he helps design attractions for Disney's theme parks. He reported directly to Disney President and CEO Robert Iger, bypassing Disney's studio and theme park executives. He also received green-light power on films with Roy E. Disney's consent.
In December 2006, he announced that Disney would start producing animated shorts to be released theatrically once more. Lasseter said he sees this medium as an excellent way to train and discover new talent in the company as well as a testing ground for new techniques and ideas. The shorts will be animated through traditional animation, computer animation or a combination of both.
Lasseter is a close friend and admirer of Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki, and has been executive producer on several of Miyazaki's films for their release in the United States, also overseeing the dubbing of the films for their English language soundtrack. The gentle forest spirit Totoro from Miyazaki's My Neighbor Totoro makes a cameo appearance as a plush toy in Toy Story 3.
===Leave of absence and later departure===
In November 2017, Lasseter announced that he was taking a leave of absence for six months. In June 2018, however, it was announced that he would leave both Disney and Pixar by the end of the year, although he would take a consulting role until then.
==Other work==
Lasseter drew the most widely known versions of the BSD Daemon, a cartoon mascot for the BSD Unix operating system. He owns the "Marie E." steam locomotive, which is an H.K. Porter engine. The "Marie E." was once owned by Ollie Johnston, who was one of Walt Disney's "Nine Old Men". In May 2007 and again in June 2010, the locomotive visited, and was run by Lasseter at the Pacific Coast Railroad in Santa Margarita, California alongside the original Santa Fe & Disneyland Railroad "Retlaw 1" coaches.
==Personal life==
Lasseter lives in Glen Ellen, California with his wife, Nancy, a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University, whom he met at a computer graphics conference. He has five sons, their ages ranging from 14 to 33 along with a Dachshund named Frank and a cat named Moocher. The Lasseters own a winery located in Glen Ellen, California. On May 2, 2009, Lasseter received an Honorary Doctorate degree from Pepperdine University and gave a commencement address where he encouraged the graduating class of more than 500 students never to let anyone tarnish their dreams.
==Feature film filmography==
Year	Film 	Position 	Subsidiary
1981	The Fox and the Hound 	Animator: Tod, Copper, Big Mama, Mr. Digger, and The Bear (uncredited) 	Walt Disney Animation Studios
1985	The Black Cauldron 	Animator (uncredited) 	Walt Disney Animation Studios
1987	The Brave Little Toaster 	Character designer (uncredited) 	Walt Disney Pictures
1989	The Little Mermaid 	Executive producer: 3D version 	Walt Disney Animation Studios
1991	Beauty and the Beast 	Executive producer: 3D version 	Walt Disney Animation Studios
1992	Porco Rosso 	Executive creative consultant: US version 	Studio Ghibli
1992	Aladdin 	Executive producer: restored version (uncredited) 	Walt Disney Animation Studios
1993	The Nightmare Before Christmas 	Executive producer: 3D version 	Touchstone Pictures
1994	The Lion King 	Executive producer: 3D version 	Walt Disney Animation Studios
1995	Toy Story 	Director / Original story / Modeling and animation system development / Editor (uncredited) 	Pixar
1997	Flubber 	Graphic designer (uncredited) 	Walt Disney Pictures
1998	A Bug's Life 	Director / Original story / Voice actor: Harry the Fly and Singing Grasshopper / Animator (uncredited)	Pixar
1999	Toy Story 2 	Director / Original story / Voice actor: Blue Rock’Em Sock’Em Robot / Animator (uncredited) 	Pixar
2000	Buzz Lightyear of Star Command: The Adventure Begins	Characters (uncredited) 	Pixar
2001	Monsters, Inc. 	Executive producer / Animator (uncredited) 	Pixar
2002	Spirited Away 	Executive producer: US version 	Studio Ghibli
2003	Finding Nemo 	Executive producer / Animator (uncredited) 	Pixar
2004	The Incredibles 	Executive producer 	Pixar
2005	Howl's Moving Castle 	Executive producer: US Version 	Studio Ghibli
2006	Cars 	Director / Screenplay / Original story / Storyboard artist (uncredited) / Animator (uncredited) 	Pixar
2006	Tales from Earthsea 	Executive producer: US version 	Studio Ghibli
2007	Meet the Robinsons 	Executive producer 	Walt Disney Animation Studios
2007	Ratatouille 	Executive producer 	Pixar
2008	WALL-E 	Executive producer 	Pixar
2008	Tinker Bell 	Executive producer 	Disneytoon Studios
2008	Bolt 	Executive producer 	Walt Disney Animation Studios
2009	Up 	Executive producer, senior creative team: Pixar 	Pixar
2009	Ponyo 	Executive producer: US version 	Studio Ghibli
2009	Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure 	Executive producer 	Disneytoon Studios
2009	The Princess and the Frog 	Executive producer 	Walt Disney Animation Studios
2010	Toy Story 3 	Executive producer, story, senior creative team: Pixar 	Pixar
2010	Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue 	Executive producer 	Disneytoon Studios
2010	Tangled 	Executive producer 	Walt Disney Animation Studios
2011	Cars 2 	Director / Screenplay / Original story / Voice actor: John Lassetire / Executive producer (uncredited)	Pixar
2011	Winnie the Pooh 	Executive producer 	Walt Disney Animation Studios
2011	The Muppets 	Creative consultant 	Walt Disney Pictures
2012	Brave 	Executive producer 	Pixar
2012	Tinker Bell: Secret of the Wings 	Executive producer 	Disneytoon Studios
2012	Wreck-It Ralph 	Executive producer 	Walt Disney Animation Studios
2013	Monsters University 	Executive producer 	Pixar
2013	Planes 	Executive producer, story 	Disneytoon Studios
2013	Frozen 	Executive producer 	Walt Disney Animation Studios
2014	The Pirate Fairy 	Executive producer, story 	Disneytoon Studios
2014	Planes: Fire & Rescue 	Executive producer 	Disneytoon Studios
2014	Big Hero 6 	Executive producer 	Walt Disney Animation Studios
2015	Tinker Bell and the Legend of the NeverBeast 	Executive producer 	Disneytoon Studios
2015	Inside Out 	Executive producer 	Pixar
2015	The Good Dinosaur 	Executive producer 	Pixar
2016	Zootopia 	Executive producer 	Walt Disney Animation Studios
2016	Finding Dory 	Executive producer 	Pixar
2016	Moana 	Executive producer 	Walt Disney Animation Studios
2017	Cars 3 	Executive producer 	Pixar
2017	Coco 	Executive producer 	Pixar
2018	Incredibles 2 	Executive producer 	Pixar
2018	Ralph Breaks the Internet 	Executive producer 	Walt Disney Animation Studios
2019	Toy Story 4 	Story / Executive producer (uncredited) 	Pixar
2019	Frozen II 	Executive producer, story (uncredited) 	Walt Disney Animation Studios
==Animated shorts filmography==
Year	Film 	Position 	Company
1981	Winnie the Pooh Discovers the Seasons 	Creative talent (uncredited) 	Walt Disney Animation Studios
1983	Winnie the Pooh and a Day for Eeyore 	Creative talent (uncredited) 	Walt Disney Animation Studios
1983	Mickey's Christmas Carol 	Creative talent / Animator (uncredited) 	Walt Disney Animation Studios
1984	The Adventures of André and Wally B. 	Character designer, animation models 	Lucasfilm
1986	Luxo Jr. 	Director, producer, writer, models, animator 	Pixar
1987	Red's Dream 	Director, writer, animator 	Pixar
1988	Tin Toy 	Director, story, modeler, animator 	Pixar
1989	Knick Knack 	Director, writer 	Pixar
1997	Geri's Game 	Executive producer 	Pixar
2000	For the Birds 	Executive producer 	Pixar
2002	Mike's New Car 	Executive producer 	Pixar
2003	Boundin' 	Executive producer 	Pixar
2005	Jack-Jack Attack 	Executive producer 	Pixar
2005	One Man Band 	Executive producer 	Pixar
2006	Mater and the Ghostlight 	Director, original story 	Pixar
2006	Lifted 	Executive producer 	Pixar
2007	Your Friend the Rat 	Executive producer 	Pixar
2007	How to Hook Up Your Home Theater 	Executive producer 	Walt Disney Animation Studios
2008	Presto 	Executive producer 	Pixar
2008	Cars Toons 	Director / Executive producer / Story / Story artist (uncredited)	Pixar
2008	BURN-E 	Executive producer 	Pixar
2008	Glago's Guest 	Executive producer 	Walt Disney Animation Studios
2009	Super Rhino 	Executive producer 	Walt Disney Animation Studios
2009	Partly Cloudy 	Executive producer 	Pixar
2009	Dug's Special Mission 	Executive producer 	Pixar
2009	Prep & Landing 	Executive producer 	Walt Disney Animation Studios
2010	Day & Night 	Executive producer 	Pixar
2010	Tick Tock Tale 	Executive producer 	Walt Disney Animation Studios
2010	Prep & Landing: Operation: Secret Santa	Executive producer 	Walt Disney Animation Studios
2011	La Luna 	Executive producer 	Pixar
2011	The Ballad of Nessie 	Executive producer 	Walt Disney Animation Studios
2011	Toy Story Toons: Hawaiian Vacation 	Executive producer 	Pixar
2011	The Pixie Hollow Games 	Executive producer 	Disneytoon Studios
2011	Toy Story Toons: Small Fry 	Executive producer, story 	Pixar
2011	Prep & Landing: Naughty vs. Nice 	Executive producer 	Walt Disney Animation Studios
2012	Tangled Ever After 	Executive producer 	Walt Disney Animation Studios
2012	Toy Story Toons: Partysaurus Rex 	Executive producer, story 	Pixar Animation Studios
2012	Paperman 	Executive producer 	Walt Disney Animation Studios
2012	The Legend of Mor'du 	Executive producer 	Pixar
2013	The Blue Umbrella 	Executive producer 	Pixar
2013	Party Central 	Executive producer 	Pixar
2013	Toy Story of Terror 	Executive producer 	Pixar
2013	Get a Horse! 	Executive producer 	Walt Disney Animation Studios
2014	Lava 	Executive producer 	Pixar
2014	Vitaminamulch: Air Spectacular 	Executive producer 	Disneytoon Studios
2014	Feast 	Executive producer 	Walt Disney Animation Studios
2014	Toy Story That Time Forgot 	Executive producer 	Pixar Animation Studios
2015	Frozen Fever 	Executive producer 	Walt Disney Animation Studios
2015	Sanjay's Super Team 	Executive producer 	Pixar
2015	Riley's First Date? 	Executive producer 	Pixar
2016	Piper 	Executive producer 	Pixar
2016	Inner Workings 	Executive producer 	Walt Disney Animation Studios
2017	Lou 	Executive producer 	Pixar
2017	Miss Fritter's Racing Skoool 	Executive producer 	Pixar
2017	Olaf's Frozen Adventure 	Executive producer 	Walt Disney Animation Studios
2018	Bao 	Executive producer 	Pixar
==Animation==
File:Fox1-disneyscreencaps.com-4177.jpg|Tod
File:Fox1-disneyscreencaps.com-4563.jpg|Copper
File:Big-Mama-(Fox and the Hound).jpg|Big Mama
File:Mr. Digger-(Fox and the Hound).jpg|Mr. Digger
File:Profile - The Bear.jpg|The Bear
==Gallery==
1-68th-academy-awards.jpg|John Lasseter accepting his Oscar for Toy Story at the 68th Academy Awards as Robin Williams watches.
John Lasseter (Toy Story).png|John Lasseter behind the scenes of Toy Story.
Mary Poppins opening .jpg|Opening of Mary Poppins: The Musical: John Lasseter, Roy Edward Disney, and Thomas Schumacher in March 2000.
John Lasseter outside Pixar.jpg|John Lasseter outside Pixar Headquarters in March 2000.
John Lasseter & Glenn McQueen.jpg|John Lasseter and the late Glenn McQueen at Monsters, Inc. wrap-up party in May 2001.
Joe and Pixar crew.jpg|John Lasseter with Pete Docter, Andrew Stanton, and Joe Ranft discuss the legacy of Toy Story in February 2005.
Disney Pixar announcement.jpeg|John Lasseter, Ed Catmull, Steve Jobs, and Bob Iger announce the Disney acquisition of Pixar in 2006.
John Lasseter and Brad Bird at Ratatouille premiere.jpg|John Lasseter and Brad Bird at the premiere of Ratatouille in June 2007.
George Lucas 66ème Festival de Venise (Mostra).jpg|John Lasseter with George Lucas in 2009.
John Lassetire Cars 2.jpg|John Lassetire, the Cars 2 character based on director John Lasseter.
ScrappedNicelandersJK.jpg|Scrapped Nicelanders from Wreck-It Ralph, including a tribute to Lasseter.
Miyazaki visit.jpg|(L-R): Ron Clements, John Musker, Hayao Miyazaki, John Lasseter, Kirk Wise, and Lee Unkrich
John Lasseter & Robin Williams at BAFTA Britannia Awards.jpg|John Lasseter and Robin Williams attending the 2011 BAFTA Britannia Awards.
John Lasseter Bob Iger 90 years of Disney.jpg|John Lasseter and Bob Iger raise a toast to celebrate 90 years of Disney Animation in December 2013.
D23-TyBurrell&JohnLasseter-(2013-08-10).jpg|Lasseter with Ty Burrell at the 2015 D23 Expo.
John-Lasseter-with-Tom-Hanks-and-Tim-Allen.jpg|John Lasseter with Tom Hanks and Tim Allen, along with Buzz (left) and Woody (right).
D23-Expo-2015-john-lasseter-Buzz-and-woody.jpg|John Lasseter at the D23 Expo 2015 Buzz and Woody.
2015 D23 Legends reception.jpg|John Lasseter with Rick Law, Joanna Miller, and Floyd Norman at the 2015 Disney|Legend Awards.
John5.jpg|Lasseter in his office at Pixar, Emeryville, CA.
Ff disney3 f.jpg|John Lasseter with Ed Catmull in John's office at Walt Disney Studios, Burbank, CA.
John-Lasseter-Closet-Hawaiin-Shirts.jpg|Lasseter's closet. He owns over 1,000 Hawaiian shirts.
John Lasseter with Ellen DeGeneres Albert Brooks Finding Dory premiere.jpg|John Lasseter with Ellen DeGeneres and Albert Brooks at the Finding Dory premiere in June 2016.
John-lasseter-walk-of-fame-02.jpg|John Lasseter at the unveiling of his Hollywood Walk of Fame star in front of the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood, CA in December 2016.
John Lasseter D23 Expo17.jpg|John Lasseter attending the D23 Expo 2017.
John Lasseter Coco premiere.jpg|John Lasseter at the premiere of Coco in November 2017.
John Lasseter with Nancy.jpg|John Lasseter with his wife, Nancy.
TimBurton-and-JohnLasseter.jpg|Tim Burton with John Lasseter during the premiere of The Nightmare Before Christmas re-release in 3D.
== Trivia== 
*John Lasseter's favorite film is Dumbo. 
==External links== 
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