Andrew Stanton facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Andrew Stanton
Stanton at the 2009 Venice Film Festival
Born	Andrew Ayers Stanton (1965-12-03) December 3, 1965 (age 59) Rockport, Massachusetts, U.S.
Alma mater	California Institute of the Arts (BFA)
Occupation	Film director screenwriter producer animator storyboard artist voice actor
Years active	1981–present
Employer	Pixar Animation Studios (1990–present)
Spouse(s)	Julie Stanton ​ (m. 1989)​
Children	2
Awards	Academy Award for Best Animated Feature Finding Nemo (2003) WALL-E (2008)

Andrew Ayers Stanton (born December 3, 1965) is an American filmmaker. He is famous for directing and writing many popular Pixar animated movies. These include Finding Nemo (2003), WALL-E (2008), and Finding Dory (2016). He is also working on Toy Story 5, which is expected in 2026.

Stanton also directed the live-action film John Carter (2012). He is directing another live-action movie called In the Blink of an Eye. For Pixar, he helped direct and write A Bug's Life (1998). He also helped write all the Toy Story films and Monsters, Inc. (2001). Sometimes, he even lends his voice to characters in these films.

Finding Nemo and WALL-E both won him Academy Awards for Best Animated Feature. He was also nominated for other Academy Awards for his writing. These nominations were for Finding Nemo, WALL-E, and Toy Story (1995). He also received a nomination for Toy Story 3 (2010). WALL-E is so special that it was added to the National Film Registry. Stanton has also directed episodes for TV shows like 3 Body Problem and Stranger Things.

About Andrew Stanton

His Early Life and Family

Andrew Stanton was born in Rockport, Massachusetts. His dad, Ron Stanton, started a company that worked on radar systems. His mom, Gloria Stanton, was an actress before she became a homemaker. Both of his parents were from a nearby town called Wellesley.

When he was in high school, Andrew enjoyed acting. He also directed funny short films using a special camera called Super 8 film. In 1980, he acted in a play called Hello, Dolly!. This play later gave him ideas for his movie WALL-E. He first studied at the University of Hartford. Then, he moved to the California Institute of the Arts to study animation. He earned his degree in 1987.

In 1989, Stanton married his high school sweetheart, Julie. They moved to Los Angeles and have two children, Ben and Audrey. Andrew Stanton is a Christian. In 2012, he shared that he was diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. He is also a big fan of the Arsenal F.C. soccer team. He even put some references to the team in his movie John Carter.

Starting His Animation Journey

Stanton began working in animation in the late 1980s. He worked as an animator for a company called Kroyer Films. He also worked on a show called Mighty Mouse: The New Adventures.

Even though Disney rejected him three times, Stanton was hired by Pixar in 1990. He was only the second animator hired there, after John Lasseter. At that time, Pixar wasn't a big movie studio yet. Their animation team made TV commercials. Their goal was to create the very first computer-animated feature film.

Working on Toy Story and Beyond

Stanton, Lasseter, and Pete Docter came up with the first ideas for Toy Story. The first version was very different from the movie we know today. After a difficult test screening in 1993, Stanton worked hard to rewrite the script. He got help from Joss Whedon. The new script was nominated for an Academy Award. This was the first time an animated film was nominated for Best Original Screenplay.

After Toy Story, Stanton went on to direct some of Pixar's most beloved films. These include Finding Nemo, WALL-E, and Finding Dory.

He once explained his idea for WALL-E in an interview. He wanted to show that even a machine could be the most "human" thing. This is because it cared more about finding meaning in life than actual people. He said the movie was about how "irrational love defeats the world's programming." It shows two robots trying to go beyond their basic instructions to experience love.

Stanton also helped with the story for Ralph Breaks the Internet. He co-wrote Toy Story 4, which came out in 2019. He started writing Toy Story 4 secretly while the third movie was still being made. He believed Toy Story 3 was a good ending for Woody's time with Andy, but not the end of Woody's whole story.

He enjoys directing live-action films too. He says it's faster and more spontaneous than animation. Animation gives you a lot of control, but it takes a very long time to make!

In 2020, it was announced that Stanton might direct and write a film called Chairman Spaceman. This movie is based on a short story. It would be his third science fiction film, after WALL-E and John Carter. Stanton has often said that science fiction is his favorite type of movie. Films like Star Wars and Blade Runner helped him love the genre. In 2022, it was announced he would direct In the Blink of an Eye.

In 2024, it was announced that Stanton would write and direct Toy Story 5. This movie is planned for release in 2026.

Movies and TV Shows

Films Andrew Stanton Worked On

Short Films

TV Episodes and Specials

Video Games

Theme Park Attractions

Awards and Nominations

Andrew Stanton has won and been nominated for many awards for his work.

Academy Awards

Preserving His Work

Two of Andrew Stanton's early short films, A Story and Somewhere in the Arctic..., were saved by the Academy Film Archive in 2012. This means they are kept safe for future generations to enjoy.

See also

In Spanish: Andrew Stanton para niños