John Alan Lasseter (born January 12, 1957) is an<!--awards and nominations don't belong here--> American animator, director and the
chief creative officer at
Pixar and
Walt Disney Animation Studios. He is also currently the Principal Creative Advisor for
Walt Disney Imagineering.
Lasseter's first job was with
The Walt Disney Company, where he became an animator. Next, he joined Lucasfilm, where he worked on the then-groundbreaking use of
CGI animation. After the Graphics Group of the Computer Division of
Lucasfilm was sold to
Steve Jobs and became
Pixar in 1986, Lasseter oversaw all of Pixar's films and associated projects as executive producer and he directed
Toy Story,
A Bug's Life,
Toy Story 2,
Cars, and
Cars 2.
He has won two
Academy Awards, for
Animated Short Film (
Tin Toy), as well as a
Special Achievement Award (
Toy Story).
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. 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...
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