Filmmaker Brad Bird came up with the idea of The Incredibles as a concept back in 1993 when he sketched the family during an uncertain point in his career. Personal issues have percolated into a story as they weighed on him in life. During this time, Bird had signed a production deal with Warner Bros. and  was in the process of directing his first feature film, The Iron Giant. Approaching middle age and having high aspirations for his filmmaking, Bird wondered whether his career goals were attainable only at the price of his family life. He stated: “Consciously, this was just a funny movie about superheroes. But I think that what was going on in my life definitely filtered into the movie.” After The Iron Giant flopped at the box office, Bird gravitated toward his superhero story. Imagining it as a homage to the 1960s comic books and spy films from his childhood, Bird initially tried to develop it as a 2D cel animation. Yet, after The Iron Giant bombed, Bird reconnected with his old CalArts classmate John Lasseter in March 2000 and pitched his story idea to him. Lasseter was sold and convinced Bird to come to Pixar, where the film would be made with computer animation. The studio announced a multi-film contract with him that May. While most animated feature films at Disney and Pixar usually have multiple directors and screenwriters, The Incredibles was written and directed solely by Bird. In addition, it would be the first Pixar film with an all-human cast. Nonetheless, Bird came up with the lineup of the story’s family members lined-up: a super-strong dad going through a mid-life crisis, a stretchy mom, a shy teenager who can turn invisible and turn on forcefields and shields, a cocky and super-fast 10-year-old boy, and a super-powered baby guaranteed to make any teenage babysitting gig a living hell. Syndrome was originally written as a minor character who was supposed to die when the Parrs’ house explodes. But he was later made the main antagonist more than the originally intended character to fill that role. And interestingly enough, a character Bird based on himself.

              Because of its all-human cast, The Incredibles would be Pixar’s most complex film given how Bird’s story was filled with elements difficult to animate with CGI back then. Humans are widely considered to the most difficult things to execute in animation. Pixar’s animators filmed themselves walking to better grasp proper human motion. It also required creating new technology to animate detailed human anatomy, clothing, and realistic skin color. Although the technical team had some experience with animating hair and cloth in Monsters, Inc., the amount of hair and cloth required had ever been done by Pixar up to this point. Didn’t help that Bird wouldn’t tolerate compromises for the sake of technical simplicity. In addition, animators had to adapt having hair both underwater and blowing through the wind. Disney was initially reluctant to make the film due to these issues. The story was bigger than any previous film, had a longer running time, and had quadruple the number of locations. New technical challenges included animating fire, water, air, smoke, steam, and explosions. There were at least 781 visual effects shots in the film, and they were quite often visual gags, such as window shattering when Bob angrily shuts the car door. Upon its release in 2004, The Incredibles earned widespread critical acclaim, 2 Academy Awards, and $632 million at the box office. It was also the first entirely animated film to win the prestigious Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation. In this post, we’ll meet the voice behind one more character from Home on the Range as well as filmmakers Bud Luckey, Brad Bird, Lou Romano, and Peter Sohn, and the voices behind Mr. Incredible, Elastigirl, Violet, Syndrome, and Mirage.

321.  Dennis Weaver

Dates: 1924-2006

Early Life and Career: Born Billy Dennis Weaver in Joplin, Missouri. Wanted to be an actor from childhood. Lived in Shreveport, Louisiana for several years and for a short time in Manteca, California. Studied at Joplin Junior College, then transferred to University of Oklahoma at Norman, where he studied drama and was a track star, setting records in several events. During World War II, he served as a pilot for the US Navy, flying a Grumman F4F Wildcat fighter aircraft. After the war, he tried out for the 1948 US Olympic team in the decathlon, finishing sixth behind 17-year-old high school track star Bob Mathias. However, only 3 finishers were selected. Weaver later commented, “I did so poorly [in the Olympic Trials], I decided to … stay in New York and try acting.” First role on Broadway came as an understudy to Lonny Chapman as Turk Fisher in Come Back, Little Sheba and eventually took over the role from Chapman in a national touring company. Solidifying his choice as an actor, Weaver enrolled in the Actors Studio, where he met Shelley Winters. In the early days of his acting career, Weaver supported his family by doing odd jobs, including selling vacuum cleaners, tricycles, and women’s hosiery. In 1952, Winters helped him get a contract for Universal Studios and he made his film debut the same year.

Movies and Cartoons: Home on the Range (2004) as well as Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color.

Characters: Abner Dixon

Also Known For: Actor and onetime president of the Screen Actors Guild who’s best known for his work in television and films from the 1950s until just before his death in 2006. Best known as Deputy Chester Goode in Gunsmoke, Deputy Marshal Sam McCloud in McCloud, and the twitchy motel attendant in Touch of Evil. Film appearances include Horizons West, The Raiders, The Redhead from Wyoming, The Lawless Breed, The Mississippi Gambler, It Happens Every Thursday, Law and Order, Column South, The Man from the Alamo, The Golden Blade, The Nebraskan, War Arrow, Dangerous Mission, Dragnet, The Bridges at Tokyo-Ri, Ten Wanted Men, Seven Angry Men, Chief Crazy Horse, Storm Fear, Navy Wife, The Gallant Hours, Duel at Diablo, Gentle Giant, A Man Called Sledge, What’s the Matter with Helen?, and Two Bits & Pepper. TV appearances include Cavalcade of America, Dragnet, The Lone Ranger, Schlitz Playhouse of Stars, Playhouse 90, Have Gun – Will Travel, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, The Twilight Zone, Kentucky Jones, Dr. Kildare, Gentle Ben, That Girl, The Virginian, Duel, Rolling Man, The Great Man’s Whiskers, Centennial, Pearl, Ishi: The Last  of His Tribe, Police Story, The Ordeal of Dr. Mudd, Emerald Point N.A.S., Cocaine: One Man’s Seduction, Magnum P.I., Buck James, Disaster at Silo 7, Captain Planet and the Planeteers, The Simpsons, Touched by an Angel, and Wildfire.

Personal Life: Married to his high school sweetheart Gerry Stowell from 1945 until his death. Had 3 sons named Richard, Robert, and Rustin. Was a vegetarian from 1958 for ethical reasons but occasionally ate fish. In the late 1980s, Weaver commissioned architect Michael Reynolds to design and construct a new residence at his Ridgway, Colorado property that that incorporated various recycled materials in its construction such as old car tires and discarded cans as well as featured solar panels and other ecotechnologies. He called his home Earthship. He and his family lived there until 2004. Lost his daughter-in-law Ann when a car driven at high speed plowed through shoppers at the Santa Monica Farmers Market. She was among the 10 people killed in the incident.

Later Life: Weaver was an environmentalist who promoted alternative fuels such as hydrogen and wind power, through the Institute of Ecolomics, a non-profit environmental organization he established in 1993 in Berthoud, Colorado. Was also involved with John Denver’s WindStar Foundation as well as founded an organization called L.I.F.E. (Love Is Feeding Everyone) which provided food for 150,000 people in Los Angeles every week. In 2004, Weaver led a fleet of alternative-fuel vehicles across the United States to raise awareness about America’s dependence on oil. Was also involved in the Genesis Awards, which honor those in entertainment media who bring attention to the plight and suffering of animals. Died from prostate cancer in 2006 at his Ridgway, Colorado home at 81.

Trivia: None.

322. Craig T. Nelson

Dates: 1944-present

Early Life and Career: Born Craig Theodore Nelson in Spokane, Washington. Mother was a dancer. Father was a businessman. Attended Lewis and Clark High School where he played football, baseball, and basketball. After graduation, he studied at Central Washington University. After flunking out, Nelson went to Yakima Valley College where his teacher Mr. Brady inspired him to study acting and from there, he went on to study drama at the University of Arizona on a scholarship. In 1969, Nelson dropped out of school and moved to Hollywood to pursue an acting career. When he first moved to California, he took a job as a security guard at a soap factory until finding work as a comedy writer. Began his show business career as a comedy writer. Was an early member of The Groundlings improv and sketch comedy troupe. Soon Nelson, Barry Levinson, and Rudy DeLuca formed their own comedy team and were regular performers at The Comedy Store and the short-lived The Tim Conway Comedy Hour. In 1973, Nelson left the comedy world, explaining “the standup comedy life was pretty unfulfilling for me” and settled in Montgomery Creek, California where he had no electricity and no running water. Had different jobs during this time including janitor, plumber, carpenter, surveyor, and high school teacher in Burney, California. He returned to acting 5 years later with …And Justice for All.

Movies and Cartoons: The Incredibles (2004) and The Incredibles 2 (2018) as well as various video games and The Incredicoaster theme park attraction.

Characters: Mr. Incredible/Bob Parr

Also Known For: Actor best known as Hayden Fox in Coach, Deputy Warden Ward Wilson in Stir Crazy, Steve Freeling in Poltergeist, Burt Nickerson in All the Right Moves, Peter Dellaplane in Action Jackson, Chief Howard Hyde in Turner & Hooch, Alex Cullen in The Devil’s Advocate, Chief Jack Mannion in The District, The Warden in My Name Is Earl, Zeek Braverman in Parenthood, and Dale Ballard in Young Sheldon and George and Mandy’s First Marriage. Film appearances include …And Justice for All, Where the Buffalo Roam, Private Benjamin, Silkwood, The Killing Fields, Rachel River, Red Riding Hood, Ghosts of Mississippi, Wag the Dog, The Family Stone, Blades of Glory, The Proposal, The Company Men, Soul Surfer, Get Hard, Book Club, and Green and Gold. TV appearances include The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Charlie’s Angels, Wonder Woman, WKRP in Cincinnati, Chicago Story, Call to Glory, The Josephine Baker Story, The Fire Next Time, If These Walls Could Talk, The Huntress, CSI: NY, Monk, Hawaii Five-O, Grace and Frankie, and Pupstruction.

Personal Life: Married twice. First wife was Robin McCarthy from 1965 until their divorce in 1978. They have 3 children. Second wife is Doria Cook since 1987. Cook is a freelance writer, president of a martial arts association, karate instructor, tai chi teacher, and former actress who had a featured role in the movie musical Mame. Struggled with alcohol and substance addiction early in his career. Ex father-in-law of actress Ashley Jones.

Later Life: A lifelong Green Bay Packers fan, Nelson sang the National Anthem at one of their games in January 2025.

Trivia: Has won a Primetime Emmy for his role in Coach. Is a motorsports fan and avid racer and co-founded Screaming Eagles Racing in 1993.

323. Holly Hunter

Dates: 1958-present

Early Life and Career: Born in Conyers, Georgia as the youngest of 6. Father was a part-time sporting goods representative and farmer of a 250-acre farm. Parents encouraged Hunter’s talent at an early age and her first role was that of Helen Keller in a fifth-grade play. Is unable to hear in her left ear due to a childhood case of the mumps, which has led to complications at work and some movie scenes have to be altered from the script so she can use her right ear. Began acting at Rockdale County High School during the early 1970s, performing in local productions of Oklahoma!, Man of La Mancha, and Fiddler on the Roof. Earned a degree in drama from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh and for a while, performed in local theater, performing ingenue roles at City Theater, then named the City Players. Later moved to New York City and roomed with fellow actress Frances McDormand, living in the Bronx, “at the end of the D (subway) train, just off 205th Street, on Bainbridge Avenue and Hull Avenue.” A chance encounter with playwright Beth Henley and appeared her plays such as the Broadway Crimes of the Heart and the Off-Broadway The Miss Firecracker Contest. Made her film debut in the 1981 slasher film The Burning.

Movies and Cartoons: The Incredibles (2004) and The Incredibles 2 (2018) as well as various video games and the Incredicoaster theme park attraction.

Characters: Elastigirl/Helen Parr

Also Known For: Actress best known for her performance as a mute Scottish woman in The Piano, for which she won the Academy Award for Best Actress. Film appearances include Broadcast News, The Firm, Thirteen, Raising Arizona, Always, Home for the Holidays, Copycat, Crash (1996), O Brother, Where Art Thou?, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, The Big Sick, The Burning, Swing Shift, Blood Simple, A Life Less Ordinary, Woman Wanted, Festival in Cannes, Searching for Debra Winger, Moonlight Mile, Levity, Little Black Book, Nine Lives, Won’t Back Down, Jackie, Paradise, Strange Weather, Breakable You, Song to Song, and The Electric State. TV appearances include Roe vs. Wade, The Positively True Adventures of the Alleged Texas Cheerleading-Murdering Mom, Svengali, A Gathering of Old Men, Crazy in Love, Harlan County War, When Billie Beat Bobby, Peep and the Big Wide World, Saving Grace, Top of the Lake, Bonnie & Clyde, Here and Now, Succession, Bless the Harts, The Comey Rule, Mr. Mayor, Mulligan, and Star Trek: Starfleet Academy.

Personal Life: Married to cinematographer Janusz Kaminski from 1995 until their divorce in 2001. Has been in a relationship with Gordon MacDonald since 2001. Had twin sons named Claude and Press in 2006.

Later Life: Still actively working as of 2025.

Trivia: Has won an Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in The Piano. Has also been nominated for Academy Awards for Broadcast News, The Firm, and Thirteen. Won 2 Primetime Emmys for the TV films Roe vs. Wade and The Positively True Adventures of the Alleged Texas Cheerleading-Murdering Mom. Received a Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement. Awarded an honorary doctorate from Carnegie Mellon University in 2016. Received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2008.

324. Sarah Vowell

Dates: 1969-present

Early Life and Career: Born in Muskogee, Oklahoma. Family moved to Bozeman, Montana when she was 11 and graduated from Bozeman High School. Earned a B.A. from Montana State University in 1993 in Modern Languages and Literature. Earned an M.A. in Art History from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 1999.

Movies and Cartoons: The Incredibles (2004) and The Incredibles 2 (2018) as well as various video games and the Incredicoaster theme park attraction.

Characters: Violet Parr

Also Known For: Historian, journalist, essayist, social commentator, and actress who’s written 7 nonfiction books on American history and culture. Was a contributing editor for the radio program This American Life on Public Radio International from 1996 to 2008. Articles have been published in The Village Voice, Esquire, Spin Magazine, The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, SF Weekly, and The Washington Post. Has been a regular contributor to Salon.com and was one of the original contributors to McSweeney’s. Books include Radio On: A Listener’s Diary, Take the Cannoli: Stories from the New World, The Partly Cloudy Patriot, Assassination Vacation, The Wordy Shipmates, Unfamiliar Fishes, and Lafayette in the Somewhat United States. Film appearances include End of the Line, Gigantic, Please Give, Hit So Hard, and A.C.O.D. TV appearances include Six Degrees, The Colbert Report, Bored to Death, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, Last Call with Carson Daly, The Tavis Smiley Show, Conan, and The Who Was? Show.

Personal Life: Has a fraternal twin sister named Amy with whom she retraced the path of the Cherokee’s forced removal from the southeastern US to Oklahoma, which This American Life would devote an hour to. Spends many vacations with her sister and nephew visiting historical sites. Also suffers from celiac disease.

Later Life: Currently lives in Manhattan within New York City. Is on the advisory board of 826 NYC, a nonprofit tutoring and writing center for students aged 6-18 in Brooklyn.

Trivia: None.

325. Jason Lee

Dates: 1970-present

Early Life and Career: Born in Santa Ana, California. Father was a car dealership manager. Raised in Huntington Beach and attended Ocean View High School. A hyperactive and energetic child, Lee took up took up skateboarding after his mom bought him a skateboard hoping he’d use it to burn off excess energy. As he developed his interest in skateboarding, Lee spent most of his time perfecting his craft, leading him to drop out of school in order to pursue a professional career in the sport during the late 1980s and early 1990s. Co-founded the company Stereo Sound Agency with fellow skateboarder Chris “Dune” Pastras, which they’d later revive in 2003. After taking some minor roles in 1992-1994, Lee eventually left professional skateboarding for a full-time acting career. First film was Mallrats in 1995.

Movies and Cartoons: The Incredibles (2004) as well as the short Jack-Jack Attack and several video games.

Characters: Buddy Pine/IcrediBoy/Syndrome

Also Known For: Actor, filmmaker, photographer, and former professional skateboarder best known as Earl Hickey in My Name Is Earl, Bones in Monster House, Underdog in Underdog, and Dave Seville in the Alvin and the Chipmunks films. Film appearances include Mallrats, Chasing Amy, Dogma, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, Jersey Girl, Clerks II, Jay and Silent Bob Reboot, Cop Out, Mumford, Almost Famous, Heartbreakers, Big Trouble, Dreamcatcher, Columbus Circle, Mi Vida Loca, Drawing Files, A Better Place, Kissing a Fool, Enemy of the State, Vanilla Sky, Stealing Harvard, A Guy Thing, I Love Your Work, The Ballad of Jack and Rose, Drop Dead Sexy, Behaving Badly, Tell, Growing Up Smith, We Bare Bears: The Movie, and The 4:30 Movie. TV appearances include Weapons of Mass Destruction, Saturday Night Live, American Dad!, Memphis Beat, Up All Night, Raising Hope, Men at Work, Peter Rabbit, We Bare Bears, and The Harper House. Video game appearances include Tony Hawk’s Project 8, Alvin and the Chipmunks, and Skate 3.

Personal Life: Married twice. First wife was actress and photographer Carmen Llewelyn from 1995 until their divorce in 2001. Lee later admitted their split was mainly due to his commitment to Scientology at the time as well as admitting to talent manager Gay Ribisi that she read A Piece of Blue Sky (a Scientology critical book), which resulted in her “disconnection letter” from Lee and being labeled a suppressive person. Was engaged to actress Beth Riesgraf from 2001 to 2007. They have a son named Pilot Inspektor born in 2003. Second and current wife is Turkish model Ceren Alkac since 2008. They have a daughter named Casper born in 2008, a son named Sonny born in 2012, and a daughter named Alberta “Birdy” born in 2017. As of 2016, Lee has left Scientology and he and his family have lived in Denton, Texas for 4 years.

Later Life: Has published of books of his instant photography since the late 2010s. In 2019, his photos of Oklahoma were exhibited in OK: Jason Lee Photographs in the Philbrook Museum of Art. Currently lives in Los Angeles.

Trivia: Was nominated twice for a Golden Globe for My Name Is Earl. Has won an Independent Spirit Award for Chasing Amy. Is 1/5 owner of the restaurant Barley and Board.

326. Elizabeth Pena

Dates: 1959-2014

Early Life and Career: Born in Elizabeth, New Jersey. Father was Cuban actor, playwright, director, and designer. Mother was a producer. Wanted to be an actress since she was 8. Family moved to Cuba when she was less than a year old but returned when she was 9 and resided in New York City where her parents founded the Latin American Theatre Ensemble. Graduated from New York School of the Performing Arts in 1977. Made her film debut in 1979.

Movies and Cartoons: The Incredibles (2004) as well as a couple of video games.

Characters: Mirage

Also Known For: Actress best known as Rosa Santos in Maya & Miguel. Film appearances include Down and Out in Beverly Hills, *batteries not included, La Bamba, Jacob’s Ladder, Rush Hour, Nothing Like the Holidays, Lone Star, El Super, Times Square, They All Laughed, Crossover Dreams, Vibes, Blue Steel, The Waterdance, Dead Funny, Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home, Lone Star, Gridlock’d, Strangeland, Seven Girlfriends, Tortilla Soup, Impostor, Zig-Zag, How the Garcia Girls Spent Their Summer, Transamerica, Down in the Valley, Sueno, Adrift in Manhattan, D-War, Love Comes Lately, A Single Woman, Mother and Child, Down for Life, The Perfect Family, Plush, Grandma, The Lost City, Girl on the Edge, Ana Maria in Novela Land, and The Song of Sway Snake. TV appearances include Cagney & Lacey, Hill Street Blues, Tough Cookies, I Married Dora, Shannon’s Deal, Drug Wars: The Camarena Story, Dream On, L.A. Law, Roommates, The Outer Limits, The Invaders, Boston Public, CSI: Miami, Suburban Madness, NCIS, Justice League, Without a Trace, American Dad!, Racing for Time, Ghost Whisperer, Major Crimes, Modern Family, and Matador.

Personal Life: Married twice. First husband was TV producer William Stephen Kibler from 1988 to their divorce. Second husband was Hans Rolla from 1994 until her death. Had 2 children named Fiona and Kaelan.

Later Life: Died in 2014 at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles at 55. Death certificate reads cause of death as liver cirrhosis due to alcohol, which caused acute gastrointestinal bleeding, cardiogenic shock and cardiac arrest.

Trivia: Co-founded Hispanic Organization of Latin Actors. Won an Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Actress and a Bravo Award for Lone Star.

327. Brad Bird

Dates: 1957-present

Early Life and Career: Born Philip Bradley Bird in Kalispell, Montana but grew up in Corvallis, Oregon. Father worked in the propane business. Paternal grandfather was an Irish immigrant who was president and chief executive of Montana Power Company. Fascination with filmmaking began at an early age. Started drawing at 3, his first cartoons clear attempts at sequential storytelling. Became particularly enamored with animation after a screening of The Jungle Book (1967), and a family friend who had taken animation classes explained how the medium worked. Father found a used camera that could shoot one frame at a time, and helped Bird set up the device for making films. Bird started his first short subject at 11. That same year, his family connection introduced him to composer George Bruns. Bruns then set Bird up a tour of Walt Disney Productions in Burbank, California. There, he met the Nine Old Men and proclaimed that he’d join them one day. After 2 years, Bird completed his first short, a 3-minute adaptation of The Tortoise and the Hare and sent the film to his idols at Disney. The studio responded with an open invitation for Bird to stop whenever in town, which led him to make several visits to Disney’s headquarters in the ensuing years. This opportunity was an “unofficial apprenticeship” of sorts that was “never offered” to anyone previously. Worked closely with Mitt Kahl and began work on another film Ecology American Style, which was ambitious and in color while the workload was intense. Instead, Bird focused on other interests during his high school years and would later graduate from Corvallis High School. That year, Disney awarded Bird a scholarship to the California Institute of the Arts, which he attended after a 3-year break. Classmates included prominent future animators and filmmakers such as John Lasseter, Tim Burton, and Harry Selick. He would accept a job as animator for Walt Disney Productions in 1978. Only to leave disillusioned with the studio to work with Steven Spielberg and later on The Simpsons.  After completing The Iron Giant, Bird reconnected with Lasseter and went on to work for Pixar.

Movies and Cartoons: The Incredibles (2004), Ratatouille (2007), and The Incredibles 2 (2018) as well as the Auntie Edna short, a few video games, and the Incredicoaster theme park attraction.

Characters: Edna Mode and Ambrister Minion

Also Known For: Filmmaker, animator, and voice actor who’s had a career spanning 4 decades in animation and live-action. Worked behind the scenes for films like The Incredibles (2004), Ratatouille (2007), The Incredibles 2 (2018), The Fox and the Hound (1981), The Black Cauldron (1985), 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 (2017), Coco (2017), Toy Story 4 (2019), Monsters, Inc. (2001), Finding Nemo (2003), Cars (2006), Frozen II (2019), and Lightyear (2022) as well as various shorts. Non-Disney work include Animalympics, Plague Dogs, The Brave Little Toaster, The Iron Giant, batteries not included, Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, Tomorrowland, An American Tail, All Dogs Go to Heaven, Thumbelina, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Balto, Ice Age, The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie, Corpse Bride, Fog City Mavericks, The Pixar Story, Jurassic World, The Angry Birds Movie, Werewolf by Night, Amazing Stories, Family Dog, Rugrats, The Critic, King of the Hill, and The Simpsons as well as the Canvas short.

 Personal Life: Married to Elizabeth Canney since 1988. They have 3 sons named Nicholas (Squirt), Rusty (Bike Boy), and Michael (Tony Rydinger). Has often been characterized as controlling with an exquisite attention to detail. While his “demanding and punishing” direction has led some to consider him difficult to work with. Also had an older sister named Susan who was killed by her estranged husband.

Later Life: The Incredibles 3 is set to be released soon.

Trivia: Has won 2 Academy Awards for The Incredibles (2004) and Ratatouille (2007). Has won 8 Annie Awards in which he holds the record. Received the Winsor McCay Award in 2011. Designed Sideshow Bob. Believes animation to be an art form, not a genre. Is close friends with John Lasseter. Was offered to direct Star Wars: The Force Awakens but turned it down.

328. Bud Luckey

Dates: 1934-2018

Early Life and Career: Born William Everet Luckey in Billings, Montana. Served in the US Air Force during the Korean War. Later served as an illustrator with the NATO Occupied Forces in Europe and North Africa from 1953-1954 and with Strategic Air Command from 1954-1957. His first Air Force duty station were Noasseur Air Base, a nuclear bomber strike base and storage depot south of Casablanca, Morocco. There, he served with the Third Air Force Material Command, Southern District. Additional stations were Lackland AFB, Kelly AFB, and Portland AFB. Was an Air Force reservist through the mid-1960s. After leaving active duty in the Air Force, Luckey attended what is now California Institute of the Arts under the G. I. Bill from 1957 to 1960. Received professional animation training at the University of Southern California with Disney veteran animator Art Babbitt. After graduation, Luckey worked as Babbitt’s assistant/apprentice for a time at Quartet Films in Los Angeles. After a few animation jobs, Luckey became Art Director and Producer at the Guild, Bascom, & Bonfigli advertising agency from 1961-1969. There, he worked on TV commercials for Kellog’s Frosted Flakes, Froot Loops, and Rice Krispies as well as Interstate Bakeries’ Dolly Madison products featuring Charles M. Schulz’s Peanuts characters. Created the “Bosco Dumbunnies” characters for the Best Foods Chocolate Milk Amplifier product Bosco Chocolate Syrup. It was in advertising where Luckey worked copywriter and future collaborator Don Hadley and the legendary Jim Henson. These friendships would result in Luckey working for Sesame Street through his own animation studio Luckey-Zamora Picture Moving Company during the 1970s.

Movies and Cartoons: The Incredibles (2004), Toy Story 3 (2010), and Winnie the Pooh (2011) as well as the shorts Jack-Jack Attack, Boundin’ and Hawaiian Vacation.

Characters: Rick Dicker, Chuckles the Clown, and Eeyore

Also Known For: Artist, cartoonist, illustrator, musician, singer, and voice actor. Best known for writing and animating many short films for Sesame Street and the Children’s Television Workshop, often doing voice work as well. Also known for his work at Pixar where he worked as a character designer for films like Toy Story (1995), Toy Story 2 (1999), A Bug’s Life (1998), Monsters, Inc. (2001), Finding Nemo (2003), Cars (2006), Ratatouille (2007), WALL-E (2008), Up (2009), and Toy Story 3 (2010). John Lasseter credits Luckey with the creation of Woody who was originally a ventriloquist dummy like Edgar Bergren’s Charlie McCarthy but evolved into a pullstring doll with an empty gun holster. Also, designed and illustrated over 100 children’s books containing his characters.

Personal Life: Father of animator, director, and producer Andy Luckey, best known as producer of the animated Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

Later Life: Luckey-Zamora merged with Colossal Pictures during the late 1980s. Luckey himself later joined Pixar in 1992 as its fifth animator and oldest employee. Worked there as a storyboard artist, character designer, and voice performer until his retirement in 2014. Died at his home of a stroke in 2018 in Newtown, Connecticut at 83.

Trivia: Won an Annie Award for Boundin’ which was also nominated for an Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film. Was close friends with Jim Henson.

329. Lou Romano

Dates: 1972-present

Early Life and Career: Born in San Diego, California. Had an interest in drawing and painting at an early age and studied theater arts, performing in plays throughout junior and senior high school. Studied acting at the San Diego School of Creative and Performing Arts. After graduating in 1990, Romano studied animation at the California Institute of the Arts. He then completed workshops at The Goundlings in Los Angeles. Later went on to work as an art director and designer for animated projects. Joined Pixar in 2000.

Movies and Cartoons: The Incredibles (2004), Cars (2006), and Ratatouille (2007) as well as the short Your Friend the Rat, and the Kinect-Rush: A Disney-Pixar Adventure video game.

Characters: Bernie Kropp, Snot Rod, and Alfredo Linguini

Also Known For: Animator and voice actor best known for his work at Pixar and Laika. Has worked behind the scenes in Monsters, Inc. (2001), The Incredibles (2004), Up (2009), Luca (2021) and the live-action Dumbo (2019) as well as various shorts. Non-Disney projects include The Pagemaster, The Powderpuff Girls, Cats Don’t Dance, The Iron Giant, Dexter’s Laboratory, ParaNorman, The Box Trolls, The Little Prince, Kubo and the Two Strings, Samurai Jack, The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part, Wonder Park, and Wendell & Wild.

Personal Life: Resides in the Bay Area with his wife.

Later Life: Left Pixar to work at Laika in 2009.

Trivia: Has won an Annie Award for his work on The Incredibles (2004). Artwork has been exhibited in the Museum of Modern Art and the Gallery at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City as well as been published on the cover of The New Yorker.

330. Peter Sohn

Dates: 1977-present

Early Life and Career: Born in the Bronx in New York City to Korean immigrants. While studying at CalArts, Sohn got a summer job working on The Iron Giant. After graduation, he worked at the Walt Disney Company and Warner Bros. before coming to Pixar in the art and story departments for Finding Nemo (2003).

Movies and Cartoons: The Incredibles (2004), Ratatouille (2007), Monsters University (2013), The Good Dinosaur (2015), Cars 3 (2017), Luca (2021), and Lightyear (2022) as well as various shorts and a few video games.

Characters: Mugger, Emile, Forrest Woodbrush, Ciccio, and Sox

Also Known For: Filmmaker, animator, storyboard artist, and voice actor best known for his work at Pixar. Has worked behind the scenes of Finding Nemo (2003), The Incredibles (2004), Ratatouille (2007), WALL-E (2008), Up (2009), Toy Story 3 (2010), Brave (2012), 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), Soul (2020), Luca (2021), Turning Red (2022), Lightyear (2022), Elemental (2023), and Inside Out 2 (2024) as well as the Win or Lose show and various shorts. Has worked behind the scenes of non-Disney movies including The Iron Giant, Osmosis Jones, Ponyo, Spider-Man: Across the Spiderverse, and Borrowed Time.

Personal Life: Married to his college sweetheart, artist Anna Chambers. Has 2 children.

Later Life: Still actively working as of 2025.

Trivia: Was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature for Elemental (2023).