On this day in 1957, Academy Award-winning animator and chief creative officer at Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios John Alan Lasseter was born in Hollywood, California.
His father was a parts manager at a Chevrolet dealership and his mother was an art teacher at a high school. Lasseter graduated from California Institute of Arts (commonly referred to as CalArts) in Valencia, California in 1979 with a degree in character animation. It was at CalArts where he met future colleague Brad Bird (writer & director of The Incredibles and Ratatouille).
Upon graduating, Lasseter joined the Walt Disney Company as a Jungle Cruise skipper at Disneyland. He later got a job as an animator with Disney and became intrigued with what computers could do for animation.
Today Lasseter, a founding member of Pixar, overseas all of the company's films and associated projects. He personally directed such blockbuster hits as Toy Story, A Bug's Life, Toy Story 2, and Cars.
"I remember the one time I saw Walt Disney in person. I was sitting with my parents curbside at the Rose Parade, New Year's Day, 1966." -John Lasseter
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