By OGTTM’s Patrice Aylward
Throughout his celebrated career, director, editor and storyteller Lee Unkrich has brought emotional depth, cultural richness and technical mastery to modern animation. At Pixar Animation Studios, Unkrich co-directed the hits “Toy Story 2,” “Monsters, Inc.” and “Finding Nemo.” His solo directorial achievements for “Toy Story 3,” the Academy Award winner for Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song in 2011, and “Coco,” winner of the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song in 2018, cemented his legacy in the field of animated feature films.
“Film is a synthesis of so many different crafts — acting, photography, art, design. I’ve long been attracted to the idea of taking disparate elements that have no business being together and combining them into an experience for an audience. At Pixar, I get to tell stories that will be seen by people all over the world,” Unkrich said. “That is a privilege not many other artists have.”
Born and raised in Chagrin Falls, Unkrich was immersed in the arts from an early age. His parents encouraged a range of creative pursuits, such as acting at the Cleveland Play House youth theater, art classes at the Cleveland Institute of Art and photography classes at Chagrin Falls High School.
His Ohio upbringing included people who mentored him as he was figuring out what it meant to be an artist. “My middle school art teacher was a big champion. I had long talks about movies with my high school French teacher who recommended films showing at the independent Cedar Lee Theatre. When I started to express an interest in movies, my honors English teacher gave me books to read about film editing, a part of the craft I knew nothing about at the time. I’m grateful to them and to my parents for being very supportive.”
Growing up in Chagrin Falls, he found inspiration in hometown figures such as actor Tim Conway and Bill Watterson, the comic artist of “Calvin and Hobbes.” “They always stood out for me as a sign that I could do something big, even though I grew up in this quaint little town in Northeast Ohio,” he said.
Watch “Toy Story 3” closely and you’ll spot subtle tributes to his roots: Andy’s school mascot is the Tigers (just like Chagrin Falls High School), and there’s a car that bears a license plate with the initials “CF” for Chagrin Falls, which was on his mother’s longtime license plate.
Currently, Unkrich is developing the sequel to “Coco,” a film he holds close to his heart. “It was the first film I conceived, nurtured and directed myself. I’m very proud of the fact that it was so broadly accepted by the people of Mexico and
Latino audiences around the world. I care too much about it to have the sequel happen without my involvement,” he said. “Each new film is a challenge, no matter how much success I’ve had in the past. I work hard at making each one the best
it can be.”