John A. Lasseter (born January 12, 1957 in Hollywood, California) is an animator and the chief creative executive at Pixar Animation Studios. Many praise him as the "current Walt Disney." ^*

He is a founding member of Pixar, where he oversees all of Pixar's films and associated projects as an executive producer. He also personally directed Toy Story, A Bug's Life, Toy Story 2, Cars and the upcoming Toy Story 3. Lasseter won two Academy Awards for Best Animated Short Film (Tin Toy) and Special Achievement Award (Toy Story). ^*.

Lasseter started in animation at Walt Disney Productions, which invented the animated feature, and Lucasfilm Computer Graphics Group, and he has now returned to Disney as the company's chief creative executive. In April 2006, The Walt Disney Company purchased Pixar and Lasseter was put in charge of both the Pixar and Disney animation studios. He was also named Principal Creative Advisor at Walt Disney Imagineering, where he will help design attractions for Disney's theme parks. He will report directly to Disney chief Bob Iger, bypassing Disney's studio and theme parks executives.

Lasseter graduated from California Institute of the Arts, where he met future colleague, Brad Bird. His first job for Disney was as a Jungle Cruise skipper at Disneyland in Anaheim.

Lasseter is a close friend of Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki, and has executive produced several of Miyazaki's films for their release in the United States, also overseeing the dubbing of the films for their English language soundtrack.

External links

• Richard Verrier and Dawn C. Chmielewski, Fabled Film Company May Get a Reanimator, Los Angeles Times, January 25, 2006
• Fortune Magazine interview with John Lasseter - includes biographic information

1957 births | Living people | American animators | American film directors | Disney Imagineers | People from Los Angeles | Pixar people | English-language film directors

John Lasseter | John Lasseter | John Lasseter | ジョン・ラセター | John Lasseter