Since Michael Eisner, Frank Wells, and Jeffrey Katzenberg assumed leadership of the Walt Disney Company in 1984, the company’s value went from $2 billion to $22 billion. But the trio that turned Disney around during the late 1980s and early 1990s would soon fall apart. In the spring of 1994, Wells died in a helicopter crash. After The Lion King’s release, Katzenberg left to co-found Dreamworks after Eisner refused to name him president. In 1995, Disney acquired Capital Cities/ABC, Inc. for $19 billion. The next year, it founded Radio Disney and launched its official disney.com website. In 1998, it bought out the California Angels, renamed it the Anaheim Angels, and renovated the stadium for $252 million (only to sell them for $180 million in 2003). It also started its own Disney Cruise Line as well. In 2001, Disney bought Fox Family Worldwide for $3 billion which later became ABC Family and Freeform. Sure, Disney would have major setbacks due to the 9/11 attacks which would lead to a decline in earnings which resulted in laying off 4,000 employees and closing 300-400 Disney stores. In 2003, Roy E. Disney announced his retirement in the same year the company became the first studio to garner $3 billion a year at the box office. As for the films from 1996 to 2003, it was a time of highs, lows, and experimentation. The really low note here is Dinosaur but it was an experimental film that blended computer animation and live action scenery. And people mainly watched that movie for that, rather than the plot. Atlantis: The Lost Empire and Treasure Planet may not stand out but they’re still better to watch than many over-hyped live action and CGI-movies of a similar note. Most notably James Cameron’s Avatar franchise. Lilo & Stitch and Tarzan both have good relationship-based storylines as well as great soundtracks. Hercules and The Emperor’s New Groove are both really great fun with memorable characters that you can’t help but like even though they may have major assholes. While The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Mulan rank among Disney’s very best.

              Now let’s move on to Pixar, the computer animation studio we all know and love. It got its start in 1974 when New York Institute of Technology’s founder Alexander Schure established the Computer Graphics Lab (GCL) and recruited computer scientists who shared his ambitions about creating the world’s first computer-animated film. Situated in a converted 2-story garage from the former Vanderbilt-Whitney estate and staffed by a group of 6, Schure invested approximately $15 million to provide resources the group needed but contributing to NYIT’s financial difficulties. Yet, they pioneered many of CG’s foundation techniques such as the invention of the alpha channel and produced a few frames of an experimental film called The Works. Eventually the group realized they needed to work with a real film studio to reach their goal. Francis Ford Coppola invited computer scientist Alvy Ray Smith to his house for a 3-day media conference where he and George Lucas shared their visions for the future of digital moviemaking. When Lucas approached the group and offered them jobs at his studio, 6 employees joined the newly established Graphics Group at Lucasfilm’s Computer Division in 1979. Directed by GCL alum Edwin Catmull, they worked on REYES, a precursor to RenderMan and developed several critical CG technologies like particle effects and various animation tools. John Lasseter joined Lucasfilm as an “interface designer” in 1983, where he animated the short film The Adventures of Andre & Wally B. In 1982, the team began working on special effects film sequences with Industrial Light & Magic. With Lucas’ 1983 divorce and fears over selling the company, Catmull and Smith decided to spin the Graphics Group off as an independent company that they named after the digital compositing computer that they named, “Pixar,” which also became its core product. Since development of a computer-animated feature film was some years away. But Steve Jobs’ $5 million payment to Lucas for technology rights and invested $5 million cash as capital into Pixar, joining the board of directors as chairman. Also, in 1986, Pixar signed a contract with Disney, who eventually bought and used its Pixar Image Computer and custom software written by Pixar as part of its Computer Animation Production System (CAPS) project, to migrate the laborious ink and paint part of the 2D animation process to a more automated method. Although they experienced a lot of financial difficulties that Jobs had to buy it out in 1991, Pixar’s relationship with Disney which culminated in $26 million deal to produce 3 animated films, the first being Toy Story. Actually, Pixar wouldn’t start to make serious money until Toy Story’s release. Disney later acquired Pixar in 2006 in a $7.4 billion deal.

Inspired by on the 1988 Pixar short Tin Toy, Toy Story was culmination of a film that had taken decades to make. At least in terms of developing the technology for it and whose origins date almost as early as Pixar itself since it was the original goal they were working towards. And by the time, it was made, Pixar was nearing bankruptcy and desperate for funds that they settled a deal with Disney to have complete ownership of their films and characters, including sequels without Pixar’s involvement in exchange for 12.5% of ticket sales. These would be a point of contention between Michael Eisner and Pixar CEO Steve Jobs for many years. At first, Toy Story was supposed to be a spin-off of the Tin Toy and a ventriloquist’s who are abandoned at a gas station and later have a series of adventures before winding up in a kindergarten. But Katzenberg was unhappy with the idea and suggested it be a buddy movie involving 2 main characters with contrasting personalities and having them only become friends after being forced to work together. The 1991 version has Tinny replace the ventriloquist dummy as the favorite toy, their bickering causing them to be left behind at a gas station, they almost catch up with the family at the pizza restaurant, only to find themselves having to escape from a kid who mutilates toys, and ends with a chase scene as the two toys try to catch up with the family’s moving van. While the plot mostly remained, the script went through many revisions. Lasseter thought the tin toy and dummy characters were “too antiquated.” The tin toy character was changed into a space-themed military action figure eventually named Buzz Lightyear. Woody was inspired by a Casper the Friendly Ghost doll that Lasseter had as a boy: a ventriloquist’s dummy with a pull string. Bud Lucky suggested that Woody be turned into a cowboy. While the ventriloquist dummy’s features were scratched. Since Toy Story’s writers had little experience with creating feature films, they attended a seminar by screenwriter Robert McKee. While Disney brought in screenwriters Joel Cohen, Alec Sokolow, and Joss Whedon. Yet, they had a tough time trying to have a film appeal to children and adults that when Katzenberg asked for more edginess, the characters were stripped of their charm with Tom Hanks complaining that Woody had been made into “a real jerk.” An initial screening of the first part in 1993 basically resulted in production being shut down and start from a new script. Still, because of this fiasco, the 110 crew behind the film was constantly on their toes during the production. And they mostly attracted talent for the novelty of working on a kind of animated film that hadn’t been done before. Since the pay was mediocre. But as with Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Toy Story was a vast gamble since nobody was really sure whether it would be a success. Upon its 1995 release, Toy Story garnered over $373 million at the worldwide box office and universal acclaim. Furthermore, it became the first animated film to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Screenplay and received an Oscar for Special Achievement. Today it’s lauded as one of the greatest animated films ever made with a 100% Rotten Tomatoes rating. In this post, you’ll meet actors Laurie Metcalf, Jan Rabson, and John Ratzenberger, Pixar people like Jeff Pidgeon, Joe Ranft, John Lasseter, and Andrew Stanton, as well as the voices behind Sid, Bo Peep, and Quasimodo.

201. John Ratzenberger

Dates: 1947-present

Early Life and Career: Born in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Father was a World War II veteran who had been a combat engineer in the Philippines. Attended St. Ann’s School, Bassick High School, and Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, Connecticut. In 1969, Ratzenberger worked at the Woodstock Festival as a heavy equipment operator and as part of the crew building the stage. He then moved to London where he began his acting and directing career. Through the 1970s, he performed with Ray Hasset and as the comic theatrical duo Sal’s Meat Market which toured throughout Europe for 8 years. Also before his years on Cheers, he also appeared in various television and film roles throughout Europe as well.

Movies and Cartoons: Toy Story (1995), A Bug’s Life (1998), Toy Story 2 (1999), Monsters, Inc. (2001), Finding Nemo (2003), The Incredibles (2004), Cars (2006), Ratatouille (2007), WALL-E (2008), Up (2009), Toy Story 3 (2010), Cars 2 (2011), Brave (2012), Monsters University (2013), Planes (2013), Planes: Fire and Rescue (2014), Inside Out (2015), The Good Dinosaur (2015), Finding Dory (2016), Cars 3 (2017), Coco (2017), The Incredibles 2 (2018), Toy Story 4 (2019), Onward (2020), and Inside Out 2 (2024) as well as shorts, series, video games, direct-to-video installments, and Toy Story: The Musical.

Characters: Hamm, P. T. Flea, Yeti, Fish School, The Underminer, Mack, Hamm Truck, Abominable Snowplow, P. T. Flea Car, Mustafa, John, Construction Foreman Tom, Gordon, Harland, Fritz, Earl, Husband Crab Bill, Juan Ortodoncia, and Construction Worker Fenwick

Also Known For: Actor best known for playing Cliff Clavin Cheers, Wings, The Tortellis, and Frasier. Said to be the third highest-grossing actor of all time. Film appearances include A Bridge Too Far, Superman, Superman II, Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, Gandhi, Ragtime, The Falcon and the Snowman, Bad Day on the Block, One Night Stand, Luck, Spellbound (2024), Spirited Away, Something New, and Shifting Gears. TV appearances include ITV Playhouse, Private Schulz, Magnum P. I., St. Elsewhere, Hill Street Blues, The Love Boat, Captain Planet and the Planeteers, Bill Nye the Science Guy, The Simpsons, Murphy Brown, Sister, Sister, Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Touched by an Angel, The Drew Carey Show, That ‘70s Show, 8 Simple Rules, Made in America, Drop Dead Diva, Bones, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, How Murray Saved Christmas, Lego Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventure, Mom, The Goldbergs, Bob Hearts Abishola, Poker Face, and WondLa.

Personal Life: Married twice. First wife was Georgia Stiny from 1984 to their divorce in 2004. They have 2 children. Second and current wife is Julie Blichfelt since 2012.

Later Life: Lived in London for 10 years. Has lived in Vashon, Washington since 1994. Has developed a packing-alternatives product made from biodegradable and non-toxic recycled paper as a safe alternative to foam peanuts and plastic bubble wrap. Called SizzlePack, it’s manufactured by his company Eco-Park Industries, which he co-founded in 1989. Sold Eco-Park to Ranpak Corp. in 1992.

Trivia: Nominated for 2 primetime Emmys.

202. Annie Potts

Dates: 1952-present

Early Life and Career: Born Anne Hampton Potts in Nashville, Tennessee but grew up in Franklin, Kentucky where she graduated from Franklin-Simpson High School in 1970. Attended Stephens College in Columbia, Missouri and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in theater. Unfortunately, her career nearly ended before it began when she and her first husband Steve Hartley were involved in a car accident that left her with several broken bones below her waist, including compound fractures on both legs, and caused the loss of her heel of her right foot. While Hartley lost his left leg. Made her screen debut in 1978.

Characters: Bo Peep

Also Known For: Actress best known as Janine Melnitz in Ghostbusters, Iona in Pretty in Pink, Liz Carlson in Jumpin’ Jack Flash, Helen Downing in Who Is Harry Crumb?, Mary Jo Jackson Shively in Designing Women, Dana Palladino in Love & War, Louanne Johnson in Dangerous Minds, Mary-Elizabeth “M. E.” Sims in Any Day Now. Gigi Stopper in GCB, Sharon Elkin in The Fosters, as well as Constance “Connie Tucker (Meemaw) in Young Sheldon and George and Mandy’s First Marriage. Film appearances include Corvette Summer, Heartaches, King of the Gypsies, Crimes of Passion, The Man Who Fell to Earth, She’s Having a Baby, Pass the Ammo, Texasville, Breaking the Rules, Elvis Has Left the Building, Chu and Blossom, All at Once, Humor Me, Izzy Gets the F*ck Across Town, Happy Anniversary, and Arlo the Alligator. TV appearances include Black Market Baby, Busting Loose, Family, Visions, Goodtime Girls, Bayou Romance, Magnum P. I., Remington Steele, The Twilight Zone, It Came Upon a Midnight Clear, CBS Schoolbreak Special, Amazing Stories, Over the Top, Johnny Bravo, Huff, Joan of Arcadia, Close to Home, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Ugly Betty, Boston Legal, Two and a Half Men, Animal Practice, Randy Cunningham: 9^th Grade Ninja, Grey’s Anatomy, NCIS: New Orleans, Chicago Med, Royal Pains, Scandal, Welcome to the Wayne, and I Heart Arlo. Stage appearances include God of Carnage and Pippin.

Personal Life: Married 4 times. First husband was Steve Hartley from 1973 to their divorce in 1978. Second husband was actor Greg Antonacci from 1978 to their divorce in 1980. Third husband was B. Scott Senechal from 1981 to their divorce in 1989. They have a son. Fourth and current husband is producer James Hayman since 1990. They have 2 sons together.

Later Life: Still working as of 2025.

Trivia: Nominated for a Golden Globe for Corvettte Summer, a Primetime Emmy for Love & War, and 2 Screen Actors Guild Awards for Any Day Now. Won a Genie Award for Heartaches.

203. Erik von Detten

Dates: 1982-present

Early Life and Career: Born in San Diego, California. Mother was a photographer. Father was a German immigrant. Earliest role was Nicholas Alamain in 55 episodes in Days of Our Lives from 1992 to 1993.

Movies and Cartoons: Toy Story (1995), Hercules (1997), Tarzan (1999), Recess: School’s Out (2001) and Toy Story 3 (2019) as well as series like Recess and The Legend of Tarzan, direct-to-video installments, and the Animated Storybook: Toy Story video game.

Characters: Sid Phillips, Boy #1, Flynt, Erwin Lawson and Capt. Brad

Also Known For: Actor and singer known for his roles in Escape to Witch Mountain, Brink!, Meego, The Princess Diaries, Complete Savages, and So Weird. Film appearances include Top Dog, Leave It to Beaver, American Girl, National Lampoon’s Barely Legal, and Smile. TV appearances include Days of Our Lives, ER, Life with Louie, 7^th Heaven, Christmas Every Day, The Wild Thornberrys, Odd Man Out, As Told by Ginger, Dinotopia, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, 8 Simple Rules, Charmed, Malcolm in the Middle, Avatar: The Last Airbender, Bones, and Family Guy.

Personal Life: Married to a Taiwanese-American real estate agent named Angela since 2018. Has 3 children including a daughter named Claire Elizabeth born in 2019 and 2 sons named Thomas Henry born in 2021 and Nicholas born in 2022.

Later Life: As of 2018, von Detten has been working for a precious metal asset management firm called Rosland Capital.

Trivia: None.

204. Laurie Metcalf

Dates: 1955-present

Early Life and Career: Grew up in Edwardsville, Illinois, which she claimed “isn’t anywhere near a theater.” Father was a budget director at Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville around the time of his sudden death in 1984. Mother was a librarian. Attended Illinois State University where she graduated in 1976. While in college, she worked as a secretary where she enjoyed completing her tasks at her desk by the end of the day as well as could be so focused on her work that she sometimes missed lunch. Although she was hooked with acting since high school she originally majored in German with hopes that she could work as an interpreter. Mainly because a career in acting wasn’t likely to lead to regular work. Only to switch her major to anthropology before accepting that majoring in theater was her true passion. After graduating she got together with actors Gary Sinise, Terry Kinney, and Jeff Perry and they established Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theatre Company. Later went to New York City to appear in an Off-Broadway Steppenwolf production of Balm of Gilead in 1984 in which she received an Obie Award and Theatre World Award. Was a cast member on SNL on the final episode of its notorious 1980-1981 season. First film was A Wedding in 1978. Debuted on Roseanne in 1988.

Movies and Cartoons: Toy Story (1995), Toy Story 2 (1999), Treasure Planet (2002), Meet the Robinsons (2005), Toy Story 3 (2010), and Toy Story 4 (2019)

Characters: Jenny Davis, Sarah Hawkins, and Lucille Kunklehorn-Robinson

Also Known For: Actress and comedian known for her complex and versatile roles across stage and screen and for receiving various accolades throughout a career spanning more than 4 decades. Best known as Jackie Harris on Roseanne and The Conners. Film appearances include Ladybird, Desperately Seeking Susan, Uncle Buck, JFK, Dear God, Georgia Rule, Scream 2, Pacific Heights, Mistress, A Dangerous Woman, Leaving Las Vegas, Bulworth, Runaway Bride, Fun with Dick and Jane (2005), Timecode, Steel City, Stop-Loss, and Somewhere in Queens. TV appearances include Hacks, 3^rd Rock from the Sun, Monk, Desperate Housewives, The Big Bang Theory, Getting On, Horace and Pete, The Norm Show, Frasier, The Dropout, Saturday Night Live, The Equalizer, Duckman, King of the Hill, Life with Louie, Dharma & Greg, Malcolm in the Middle, Without a Trace, Grey’s Anatomy, Raines, Tim &  Eric’s Bedtime Stories, Portlandia, American Dad!, Supergirl, Q-Force, Elsbeth, and Monster. Stage appearances include Balm in Gilead, A Doll’s House, Part 2, Three Tall Women, November, The Other Place, Misery, Hillary and Clinton, The Glass Menagerie, You Can’t Take It with You, Educating Rita, All My Sons, Frankie and Johnny in Clair de Lune, Brighton Beach Memoirs, A Lie of the Mind, Detroit, The Other Place, Long Day’s Journey into Night, Domesticated, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woof?, Grey House, Gutenberg! The Musical!, and Little Bear Ridge Road.

Personal Life: Great-niece of Pulitzer Prize winning playwright Zoe Atkins. Married twice. First husband was actor Jeff Perry from 1983 to their divorce in 1986. They had a daughter named Zoe who’s best known as Mary Cooper in Young Sheldon and George and Mandy’s First Marriage, a role originally played by Metcalf herself on The Big Bang Theory. Second husband was actor Matt Roth who played her abusive boyfriend Fisher on Roseanne. They had a son in 1993 and eventually married later that year. They had a daughter named Mae in 2005 and fostered a six-year-old boy in 2006 whom they later adopted. Couple worked together on occasion throughout their marriage. They separated in 2008 and divorced in 2014 due to irreconcilable differences. Has often described herself as a perfectionist and a workaholic as well as prefers the stage over other acting media.

Later Life: Still actively working as of 2025.

Trivia: Went to high school with Gary Sinise. Went to Illinois State University with John Malkovitch, Glenne Headley, Joan Allen, and Terry Kinney.  Has won 2 Tonys and 4 Primetime Emmys as well as been nominated for an Academy Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, A BAFTA Award, and 3 Golden Globes. Has appeared in commercials for Plan USA, a humanitarian organization that helps children in need around the world.

205. Jeff Pidgeon

Dates: 1965-present

Early Life and Career: Born in Vergenes, Vermont. Dreamed of becoming a newspaper cartoonist under the influence of Charles Schultz’s Peanuts comic strip. Studied and graduated with a BFA from the California Institute of the Arts. Joined Pixar in 1991.

Movies and Cartoons: Toy Story (1995), Toy Story 2 (1999), Monsters, Inc. (2001), The Incredibles (2004), WALL-E (2008), Toy Story 3 (2010), and Toy Story 4 (2019) as well as shorts, the series Buzz Lightyear of Star Command: The Adventure Begins, video games, and theme park attractions.

Characters: Aliens and Bile

Also Known For: Animator, screenwriter, and voice actor at Pixar. Worked behind the scenes on Pixar films such as Toy Story (1995), A Bug’s Life (1998), Toy Story 2 (1999), Monsters, Inc. (2001), WALL-E (2008), Up (2009), Monsters University (2013), Toy Story 4 (2019), and Turning Red (2022) as well as the series Buzz Lightyear of Star Command and a variety of shorts. Outside of Disney, he’s done production work for Mighty Mouse: The New Adventures, Christmas in Tattertown, The Battle Butter Book, Tiny Toon Adventures, The Simpsons, Taz-Mania, and FernGully: The Last Rainforest.

Personal Life: Married to Anita Coulter since 2005.

Later Life: Currently lives in North Carolina.

Trivia: Said to design Hamton J. Pig from Tiny Toons. Also makes his own toys.

206. Joe Ranft

Dates: 1960-2005

Early Life and Career: Born Joseph Henry Ranft in Pasadena, California and raised in Whittier. As a child, he developed a love for magic, storytelling, film, and comedy. At 15, he joined the Magic Castle Junior Group. After graduating from Monte Vista High School in Wittier, Ranft began studying in the character animation program at the California Institute of the Arts alongside John Lasseter and Brad Bird. After a couple of years, Ranft’s student film Good Humor caught the attention of Disney’s animation department who offered him a job. Joined Disney in 1980 as a writer and storyboard artist. Worked in the television projects for his first 5 years before moving into the Feature Animation Department where he was mentored by Eric Larson. Around this time, he studied under and began performing with the improvisation group, The Groundlings. Joined Pixar in 1992 as their head of story.

Movies and Cartoons: Toy Story (1995), A Bug’s Life (1998), Toy Story 2 (1999), Monsters, Inc. (2001), Finding Nemo (2003), The Incredibles (2004) and Cars (2006) as well as the series Buzz Lightyear of Star Command: The Adventure Begins, various shorts, and video games.

Characters: Lenny, Heimlich, Wheezy, Pete “Claws” Ward, Jacques, Red, and Peterbilt

Also Known For: Animator, screenwriter, and voice actor. Worked behind the scenes of Disney films such as Oliver & Company (1988), The Little Mermaid (1989), The Rescuers Down Under (1990), Beauty and the Beast (1991),The Lion King (1994), and Fantasia 2000 (1999) as well as various shorts. Worked behind the scenes of Pixar films such as Toy Story (1995), A Bug’s Life (1998), Toy Story 2 (1999), Monsters, Inc. (2001), Finding Nemo (2003), The Incredibles (2004), and Cars (2006) as well as Buzz Lightyear of Star Command: The Adventure Begins. Outside Disney, he worked on films such as The Brave Little Toaster, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, The Nightmare Before Christmas, James and the Giant Peach, Monkeybone, and Corpse Bride.

Personal Life: His younger brother Jerome is a sculptor who’s also worked on several Pixar films. Married to Sue Barry from 1985 until his death. Had 2 children.

Later Life: In August 2005, Ranft and his friend Eric Frierson were passengers in Ranft’s 2004 Honda Element, which their friend Elegba Earl was driving at the time. Anyway, Earl suddenly lost control and ran through a guardrail while northbound on Highway 1. The SUV plunged off a cliff and plunged 130 ft into the Navarro River’s mouth, killing Ranft and Earl instantly. Frierson was injured but survived by escaping through the sunroof. His remains were cremated while Cars and Corpse Bride were dedicated to him upon posthumous release.

Trivia: Named Disney Legend in 2006 and received the Windsor McCay Award in 2016.

207. Jan Rabson

Dates: 1954-2022

Early Life and Career: Born in East Meadow, New York. Was a member of Johnny Carson’s “Mighty Carson Art Players,” performing in on-camera sketches as well as providing voices for answering machines, cash registers, and other inanimate objects in Carson’s sketches.

Movies and Cartoons: Toy Story (1995), The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996), Hercules (1997), A Bug’s Life (1998), Toy Story 2 (1999), Monsters, Inc. (2001), Finding Nemo (2003), Cars (2006), WALL-E (2008), Up (2009), Toy Story 3 (2010), and Monsters University (2013) as well as the Pixar Cars Toons shorts

Characters: Gas Station Attendant Mike, Frollo’s Soldiers, Driver, Axle, Japanese Businessman, Sushi Chef, Seagulls, T. J. Hummer, Axiom Passenger, Construction Worker, Television Announcer, Sparks, and Astronomy Club President

Also Known For: Actor who appeared in over 100 titles over a 40-year career. Voice was in thousands of commercials, films, TV shows as well as animated films and series. Best known role is Tetsuo Shima in the Streamline Productions dub of Akira and Larry Laffer in the Leisure Suit Larry video game series. Film appearances include Chasing Dreams, Royal Space Force: The Wings of Honneamise, Theodore Rex, Barbie as the Princess and the Pauper, Bratz Super Babyz, Horton Hears a Who!, and Quest for Zhu. TV appearances include One Day at a Time, The Facts of Life, Knight Rider, Cheers, G-Force: Guardians of Space, Night Court, Designing Women, Growing Pains, James Bond Jr., Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Animaniacs, The Real Adventures of Johnny Quest, Babylon 5, Baywatch, Pinky and the Brain, Batman Beyond, Beverly Hills 90210, Rugrats, Justice League, Bratz, Superbook, and My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic. Appeared in Freddie Pharkas: Frontier Pharmacist video game.

Personal Life: Married to Cindy Akers but Wikipedia doesn’t list any dates so I guess they were together until death. Imdb says they had 2 children. Resided in Salt Spring Island in British Columbia, Canada.

Later Life: Spent his later years dividing between Vancouver and Los Angeles productions. Died from a heart attack in 2002 in Salt Spring Island, British Columbia at 68.

Trivia: Used the name Samuel Gurd Jr. in his anime dubbing and on-camera work.

208. Andrew Stanton

Dates: 1965-present

Early Life and Career: Born in Rockport, Massachusetts. Father founded a company that worked on radars for the US Department of Defense. Mother was a former aspiring actress. Acted in high school and directed sketch comedy shot on Super 8 film. Played Barnaby Tucker in his high school production of Hello, Dolly! in 1980, which later became a source of inspiration for WALL-E. Studied for a year at the University of Hartford before transferring to the character animation program at the California University of the Arts. Received his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree at CalArts in 1987. Animation career began in the late 1980s, first as an animator for Kroyer Films. One of his first projects involved animating sperm for a sex-ed film with Martin Short called The Making of Me, originally produced for Disney’s Wonders of Life pavilion. Was also one of several CalArts graduates hired by John Kricfalusi to work on Mighty Mouse: The New Adventures at Ralph Bakshi’s studio. After Disney had rejected him 3 times, Stanton was hired by Pixar’s animation group in 1990 as its second animator and ninth employee.

Movies and Cartoons: Toy Story (1995), A Bug’s Life (1998), Toy Story 2 (1999), Finding Nemo (2003), Cars (2006), WALL-E (2008), and Finding Dory (2016) as well as various TV series, shorts, video games, the direct-to-video Buzz Lightyear of Star Command: The Adventure Begins, and several theme park attractions.

Characters: Commercial Chorus 2, Bug Zapper Bug 1, Singing Grasshopper 2, Evil Emperor Zurg, Crush, Lobster, Seagulls, Fred, Axiom Passenger 2, and Clam.

Also Known For: Filmmaker and voice actor based at Pixar since 1990. Has worked behind the scenes of films such as Toy Story (1995), A Bug’s Life (1998), Toy Story 2 (1999), Monsters, Inc. (2001), Finding Nemo (2003), Cars (2006), Ratatouille (2007), WALL-E (2008), Up (2009), Toy Story 3 (2010), Cars 2 (2011), Brave (2012), Monsters University (2013), Inside Out (2015), The Good Dinosaur (2015), Finding Dory (2016), Zootopia (2016), Cars 3 (2017), Coco (2017), Incredibles 2 (2018), Ralph Breaks the Internet (2018), Toy Story 4 (2019), Frozen II (2019), Onward (2020), Soul (2020), Luca (2021), Encanto (2021), Turning Red (2022), Lightyear (2022), Elemental (2023), and Inside Out 2 (2024) as well as various shorts and TV shows. Worked on films such as John Carter, Spies in Disguise, and Nimona. Also worked on TV shows like Mighty Mouse: The New Adventures, 2 Stupid Dogs, Fetch! with Ruff Ruffman, Stranger Things, Better Call Saul, Legion, Tales from the Loop, For All Mankind, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and 3 Body Problem.

Personal Life: Married to his high school sweetheart Julie since 1989, 2 weeks after she graduated from Georgetown University. They have 2 children named Ben and Audrey. Was diagnosed with ADHD in 2012.

Later Life: Still actively working at Pixar as of 2025.

Trivia: Has won 2 Academy Awards for Best Animated Feature and been nominated for 4.

209. John Lasseter

Dates: 1957-present

Early Life and Career: Born in Hollywood, California in Los Angeles. Mother was an art teacher at Bell Gardens High School. Father was a parts manager at a Chevrolet dealership. Grew up in Whittier, California. Mother’s profession contributed to his growing preoccupation with animation that he often drew cartoons during church services at the Church of Christ his family attended. Would often race home from school to watch Chuck Jones cartoons on TV. While in high school, The Art of Animation by Bob Thomas which made him realize that he wanted to do animation himself. Actually, he wanted to be an animator after he watched The Sword in the Stone earlier in his youth. He then read Preston Blair’s book about animation and made flipbooks based on Blair’s walking cycles. One of his friends had a Super 8 camera that shot single frames, which Lasseter used to shoot some of his earlier animation efforts. After graduating from Whittier High School, he enrolled in the California Institute of the Arts Character Animation program in 1975 with his mentors being Eric Larson, Frank Thomas, and Ollie Larson, 3 of Disney’s 9 Old Men. While his classmates were Brad Bird, John Musker, Henry Selick, Tim Burton, and Chris Buck. Produced 2 animated shorts during this time called Lady and the Lamp and Nitemare, both winning the student Academy Award for Animation. Also, started working for Disney at Disneyland in Anaheim during summer breaks and got a job as a Jungle Cruise skipper, where he learned the basics of comedy and comic timing to entertain captive audiences on the ride. After his 1979 graduation, Lasseter began working at Walt Disney Productions as an animator. In the early 1980s, he came across some tapes that showed some of the very beginnings of computer animation. Sure, these consisted of floating spheres, but it blew Lasseter’s mind regardless. Yet, it wasn’t until he was invited by friends Jerry Rees and Bill Kroyer while working on Mickey’s Christmas Carol to come and see the first light sequences for an upcoming film called Tron, featuring then state-of-the-art computer-generated imagery (CGI), that he saw the huge potential in this new technology in animation. Lasseter realized that computers could be used to make films with 3-dimensional backgrounds where traditionally animated characters could interact to a new level of visually stunning depth that had not been possible before. Later he and Glen Keane talked about how great it would be to make an animated feature with a computer-generated background. Keane agreed but first, they decided to do a short test film to see how it work out and chose Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak. Lasseter, Keane, and executive Thomas L. Wilhite went on with the project. Unfortunately, Lasseter and his colleagues unknowingly pissed off their bosses by not seeking their approval because they really wanted to get the Where the Wild Things Are project off the ground. When two of those bosses found out after the pitch, the project was canceled and Lasseter was canned. Lasseter later teamed with Ed Catmull of Lucasfilm Computer Graphics Group where they worked on their first animated short: The Adventures of Andre & Wally B. During his time at Lucasfilm, Lasseter worked closely with Catmull and his team of computer science researchers. He learned how to use some of their software and in turn, he taught the computer science researchers about filmmaking, animation, and art. He also created THX’s robot mascot Tex. However, due to Lucas being involved in a crippling divorce during the mid-1980s, he was forced to sell Lucasfilm Computer Graphics that was by then renamed the Pixar Graphics Group founded by Catmull and Alvy Ray Smith. Later it would be spun as a separate corporation with Steve Jobs being its majority shareholder in 1986. Over the next decade, Pixar would evolve from a computer company that did animation work on the side into an animation studio and Lasseter had a lot to do with it. And he wouldn’t return to Disney until 2006, when Disney bought Pixar.

Movies and Cartoons: Toy Story (1995), A Bug’s Life (1998), Toy Story 2 (1999), and Cars 2 (2011)

Characters: Commercial Chorus 1, Harry the Singing Grasshopper 1, Blue Bomber, Galloping Geargrinder, John Lassetire, and Fuzzy Dice Casino Car

Also Known For: Film director, producer, screenwriter, and animator who was previously the chief creative officer of Pixar Animation Studios, Walt Disney Animation Studios, and Disneytoon Studios as well as the Principal for Walt Disney Imagineering, and has served as head of animation at Skydance since 2019. Has oversaw the creation of every Pixar film up to Toy Story 4 (2019) along with numerous shorts, specials, and series as well as other Disney films from Meet the Robinsons (2007) to Ralph Breaks the Internet (2018).

Personal Life: Married to a woman named Nancy since 1988. Has one stepson and four biological sons. Mrs. Lasseter is a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University who majored in computer graphics applications and worked as a computer graphics engineer at Apple Computer. The Lasseters own a winery in Glen Ellen, California and have a swimming pool with a lazy river that runs through a cave. Lasseter himself collects classic cars and Hawaiian shirts.

Later Life: In many respects, Lasseter would later take a 6-month absence after allegations of sexual misconduct by multiple employees at both Disney and Pixar, which included “grabbing, kissing, and making comments about physical attributes.” Such behavior was so well known that according to Variety, at various times, Pixar had “minders who were tasked with reining in his impulses.” In 2018, Lasseter announced his resignation at the end of the year, taking on a consulting role until then. The next year, he became head of Skydance Animation.

Trivia: Received an honorary doctorate from Pepperdine University in 2009 where he delivered the commencement address. Is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and served 9 consecutive years on its board of governors from 2005 to 2014 before relinquishing his post due to term limits. With his last position being first vice president. Received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2011, which is located at 6834 Hollywood Boulevard.

210. Tom Hulce

Dates: 1953-present

Early Life and Career: Born in Detroit, Michigan. Father worked for Ford Motor Company. Mother sang with Phil Spitalny’s All-Girl Orchestra. Wanted to be a singer as a child but switched to acting after his voice changed during his teenage years. Left home at 15 to attend the Interlochen Arts Academy and later North Carolina School of the Arts but left a year before finishing his BFA. Eventually graduated with a BA from Beloit College in Wisconsin. Debuted as an actor in the 1974 production of Equus alongside Sir Anthony Hopkins on Broadway and in Los Angeles.

Movies and Cartoons: The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996) as well as a direct-to-video sequel and the short Once Upon a Studio.

Characters: Quasimodo

Also Known For: Actor and theater producer best known as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in Amadeus, Larry “Pinto” Kroger in Animal House, and Larry Buckman in Parenthood. Film appearances include Echo Park, Slam Dance, Dominick and Eugene, Shadow Man, Black Rainbow, The Inner Circle, Fearless, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, Wings of Courage , Stranger Than Fiction, and Jumper. Produced A Home at the End of the World and The Seagull. TV appearances include Great Performances, The Adams Chronicles, St. Elsewhere, American Playhouse, Tall Tales & Legends, Murder in Mississippi, The Hidden Room, Frasier, and The Heidi Chronicles. Stage appearances include Equus, A Memory of Two Mondays, 27 Wagons Full of Cotton, A Few Good Men, and Hamlet. Was producer for The Cider House Rules, Talking Heads, Spring Awakening, American Idiot, On a Clear Day You Can See Forever, Significant Other, and Ain’t Too Proud.

Personal Life: Came out as gay during an 2008 interview with Seattle Gay News. He also took time to debunk a rumor that he married a woman (supposedly an Italian artist named Cecilia Ermini) and had a daughter named Anya with her. He said: That information – having a wife and child – is false. In the world of the Internet, there are many falsehoods. Anyone can write stuff on Wikipedia and it doesn’t have to be true. I’m comfortable among the lists [of openly gay actors] although I stopped acting about 10 years ago.”

Later Life: Hasn’t actively acted since 2008. Yet, might be actively working as a theater producer as of 2025.

Trivia: Nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor for Amadeus in 1984 as well as for 4 Golden Globes. Has also won an Emmy for The Heidi Chronicles and a Tony for Spring Awakening. Was chosen to play Mozart over intense competition including David Bowie, Mikhail Baryshikov, Mark Hamil, and Kenneth Branaugh.