Lee Edward Unkrich (born August 8, 1967) is an American
film director
A film director controls a film's artistic and dramatic aspects and visualizes the screenplay (or script) while guiding the film crew and actors in the fulfilment of that vision. The director has a key role in choosing the cast members, pr ...
,
film editor
Film editing is both a creative and a technical part of the post-production process of filmmaking. The term is derived from the traditional process of working with film which increasingly involves the use of digital technology.
The film edit ...
,
screenwriter
A screenplay writer (also called screenwriter, scriptwriter, scribe or scenarist) is a writer who practices the craft of screenwriting, writing screenplays on which mass media, such as films, television programs and video games, are based.
...
, and
animator
An animator is an artist who creates multiple images, known as frames, which give an illusion of movement called animation when displayed in rapid sequence. Animators can work in a variety of fields including film, television, and video games ...
. He was a longtime member of the creative team at
Pixar
Pixar Animation Studios (commonly known as Pixar () and stylized as P I X A R) is an American computer animation studio known for its critically and commercially successful computer animated feature films. It is based in Emeryville, Californ ...
, where he started in 1994 as a
film editor
Film editing is both a creative and a technical part of the post-production process of filmmaking. The term is derived from the traditional process of working with film which increasingly involves the use of digital technology.
The film edit ...
. He later began directing, first as co-director of ''
Toy Story 2
''Toy Story 2'' is a 1999 American computer-animated film produced by Pixar Animation Studios for Walt Disney Pictures. The second installment in the ''Toy Story'' franchise and the sequel to '' Toy Story'' (1995), it was directed by John ...
''.
After co-directing ''Toy Story 2'', ''
Monsters, Inc.'' and ''
Finding Nemo
''Finding Nemo'' is a 2003 American computer-animated comedy-drama adventure film produced by Pixar Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. Directed by Andrew Stanton with co-direction by Lee Unkrich, the screenplay was wr ...
'', Unkrich made his solo directorial debut with ''
Toy Story 3
''Toy Story 3'' is a 2010 American computer-animated comedy-drama film produced by Pixar Animation Studios for Walt Disney Pictures. It is the third installment in the ''Toy Story'' series and the sequel to '' Toy Story 2'' (1999). It wa ...
'' in 2010, and most recently directed ''
Coco'' in 2017, both of which won the
Academy Award
The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
for
Best Animated Feature
This is a list of categories of awards commonly awarded through organizations that bestow film awards, including those presented by various film, festivals, and people's awards.
Best Actor/Best Actress
*See Best Actor#Film awards, Best Actress#F ...
and the
Academy Award
The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
for
Best Original Song.
After working at Pixar for 25 years, Unkrich retired from the company in January 2019 to spend more time with his family and pursue other interests.
Early life and career
Unkrich was raised in
Chagrin Falls, Ohio
Chagrin Falls is a village in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States and is a suburb of Cleveland in Northeast Ohio's Cleveland-Akron-Canton metropolitan area, the 19th-largest Combined Statistical Area nationwide. The village was established and h ...
. His father, Bob Unkrich, was a World War II veteran ("He stormed the beach at Normandy") and artist. Unkrich was raised in the Jewish faith. He spent his youth acting at
The Cleveland Play House. Unkrich graduated from the
University of Southern California
, mottoeng = "Let whoever earns the palm bear it"
, religious_affiliation = Nonsectarian—historically Methodist
, established =
, accreditation = WSCUC
, type = Private research university
, academic_affiliations =
, endowment = $8.1 ...
School of Cinematic Arts
The University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts (SCA) houses seven academic divisions: Film & Television Production; Cinema & Media Studies; John C. Hench Division of Animation + Digital Arts; John Wells Division of Writing for S ...
in 1990.
[Notable Alumni]
, USC School of Cinematic Arts; accessed March 10, 2008.
Unkrich was Vice-President of Editorial and Layout at
Pixar
Pixar Animation Studios (commonly known as Pixar () and stylized as P I X A R) is an American computer animation studio known for its critically and commercially successful computer animated feature films. It is based in Emeryville, Californ ...
. Before joining Pixar in 1994, Unkrich worked for several years in television as an editor and director. He is the 2011 recipient of the
University of Southern California
, mottoeng = "Let whoever earns the palm bear it"
, religious_affiliation = Nonsectarian—historically Methodist
, established =
, accreditation = WSCUC
, type = Private research university
, academic_affiliations =
, endowment = $8.1 ...
's Mary Pickford Distinguished Alumni Award recognizing alumni contributions to the cinematic arts.
On January 18, 2019, Unkrich announced he was leaving Pixar to spend time with his family and pursue interests that have "long been back-burnered."
Personal life
Unkrich is married to Laura Century and they have three children: Hannah, Alice, and Max.
Unkrich came out as bisexual to his family and friends in 2021 but only revealed it to the public in 2022.
Filmography
Features
Television
*''Prison Stories: Women on the Inside'' (1991) (TV) (production assistant)
*''
Silk Stalkings'' (1991) (TV Series) (assistant editor, editor, director)
*''
Renegade
Renegade or The Renegade may refer to:
Aircraft
*Lake Renegade, an American amphibious aircraft design
*Murphy Renegade, a Canadian ultralight biplane design
*Southern Aeronautical Renegade, an American racing aircraft design
Games
*''Command ...
'' (1993) (TV series) (assistant editor)
*''Betrayed by Love'' (1994) (TV) (assistant editor)
*''Separated by Murder ''(1995) (TV) (editor)
Documentaries
Shorts and TV specials
References
External links
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Unkrich, Lee
1967 births
Animators from Ohio
Animation screenwriters
Living people
Contestants on American game shows
USC School of Cinematic Arts alumni
People from Chagrin Falls, Ohio
Pixar people
American animated film directors
American male voice actors
Annie Award winners
Directors of Best Animated Feature Academy Award winners
Film directors from Ohio
Jewish American writers
Jewish film people
Jews and Judaism in Ohio
Male actors from Ohio
American film editors
21st-century American male actors
20th-century American male actors
LGBT animators
LGBT film directors
LGBT Jews