Ralph Eggleston: Celebs Rumors

Ralph Eggleston, a longtime animator and art director who worked on several Pixar films starting with Toy Story and won an Oscar for directing the animated short For the Birds, died Sunday of pancreatic cancer in Lake Charles, LA, Pixar announced. He was 56.

Carson Burton Ralph Eggleston, an Academy Award-winning animator, art director and production designer at Pixar Animation Studios, died on Monday after a long battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 56 years old. Eggleston won the animated short film Oscar for writing and directing the 2001 Pixar film “For the Birds.” Pixar tweeted a tribute to him, saying, “Pixar and the world will be forever grateful.”In memory of Ralph Eggleston—animator, director, art director, storyboard artist, writer, production designer, and our dear friend. Pixar and the world will be forever grateful. ❤ pic.twitter.com/YzZACENcZw The animator also served as art director on the original “Toy Story,” and his work as an artist has been seen on numerous Pixar films including “Monsters, Inc.,” “Finding Nemo,” “Wall-E,” “Cars,” “The Incredibles” and “Inside Out.” His final credited work was in 2020’s “Soul,” where he served as a development artist within the art department.

Ralph Eggleston, an animation whiz who was hired by Pixar in the lead-up to the release of “Toy Story,” has died following a lengthy battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 56.Over the course of his storied career, Eggleston went on to serve in a variety of roles at Pixar, memorably contributing to everything from “Monsters, Inc.” to both “Incredibles” movies to “Inside Out” and “Soul.” (The animation studio didn’t release an official statement but sent an email to staff confirming the news this morning.)Eggleston started his career with former Disney animator Bill Kroyer, working on things like the title sequence for “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” and eventually Kroyer’s directorial debut “Fern Gully: The Last Rainforest.” Eggleston then left to join Disney, working on some of the most celebrated movies in the company’s filmography ( “Aladdin,” “The Lion King” and “Pocahontas”) before joining Pixar in 1992 as the studio was transforming from a company that did software and commercials (the short films were basically used to showcase whatever technology Pixar was hawking at the time) to a full-fledged movie studio.He would serve as an art director for “Toy Story.” The moving van company that Andy’s family uses in the final chase is even named after his nickname: Eggman Movers.