Chris Renaud facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Chris Renaud
Renaud in 2013
Born	December 1966 (age 58) Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
Alma mater	Syracuse University
Occupation	Director producer designer storyboard artist voice actor
Years active	1989–present
Employer	Blue Sky Studios (2001–2007) Illumination (2007–present)
Spouse(s)	Lauren Renaud
Children	2
Signature

Chris Renaud (born December 1966) is an American filmmaker, designer, and voice actor. He is famous for his work at Illumination, where he has directed many popular animated movies. These include the first, second, and fourth films in the Despicable Me series. He also directed The Lorax, The Secret Life of Pets, and its sequel The Secret Life of Pets 2. Chris Renaud also voices the funny Minions in the first two Despicable Me movies and Norman in The Secret Life of Pets films. He even helped create the Minions! He was nominated for two Academy Awards for his work on the Ice Age short film No Time for Nuts and for Despicable Me 2.

Early Life and Creative Beginnings

Chris Renaud was born in 1966 in Baltimore, USA. When he was 15, his family moved to Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. He said this move was a bit upsetting but also good because it showed him how big the world was. In high school, he was the artist for the yearbook and newspaper. He dreamed of creating comic books. After high school, he studied art at Baum School of Art.

From Comics to Animation

After finishing college at Syracuse University in 1989, Chris started working as a graphic designer. He designed logos and mascots for big sports companies like the NFL and NBA. Later, he began drawing and writing comic books for famous companies like Marvel Comics and DC Comics. He even helped create a big storyline for Batman comics.

Working on Children's TV Shows

Chris then moved into making children's television shows. He was a production designer for Disney Channel's The Book of Pooh. This job helped him design virtual sets and puppet characters for other shows like Bear in the Big Blue House and LazyTown. He also led the visual design for It's a Big Big World, an Emmy-nominated children's program on PBS.

Joining Blue Sky Studios

Before joining Illumination, Chris Renaud worked at Blue Sky Studios. There, he was a story artist for movies like Robots, Ice Age: The Meltdown, and Horton Hears a Who!. He also wrote and co-directed an animated short film called No Time for Nuts. This short won an Annie Award and was nominated for an Oscar in 2007!

Creating Movie Magic at Illumination

Chris Renaud moved to Paris to work for Illumination Entertainment. This is where he became famous for his work on the Despicable Me movies.

The Story Behind the Minions

While directing Despicable Me (2010), Chris and his co-director Pierre Coffin started creating Gru's funny helpers, the Minions. At first, they thought about making them robots. Then, Chris had the idea that they could be like mole people and added goggles to them. He sent a rough sketch to Pierre, who then worked with Eric Guillon, the art director. Together, they made the Minions look the way we know them today. The more they worked, the more yellow and round the Minions became. Eric made them look more like children, simpler, funnier, and brighter. The Minions were inspired by characters like the Oompa-Loompas from Willy Wonka and the Jawas from Star Wars. They also got ideas from silent movie stars like Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin.

Directing Popular Animated Films

Chris Renaud has directed many hit movies for Illumination. These include Despicable Me (2010), Dr. Seuss' The Lorax (2012), Despicable Me 2 (2013), and The Secret Life of Pets (2016). The Secret Life of Pets is about two dogs, Max and Duke, who have to work together when a bunny named Snowball tries to get revenge on pet owners. Chris signed a new contract with Illumination in 2013. He said he loves working there because he gets to direct many movies one after another. He feels very lucky!

In an interview, he shared that he read Dr. Seuss books as a child, which influenced his work on films like The Lorax. He has also been an executive producer for Minions (2015), Despicable Me 3 (2017), and The Grinch (2018). He produced Minions: The Rise of Gru in 2022. He returned to direct The Secret Life of Pets 2 in 2019 and Despicable Me 4 in 2024.

Personal Life

Since 2008 or 2009, Chris Renaud has lived in Paris, France. He lives there with his wife, Lauren, and their two children, John and Kiely.

Filmography

Movies

Television Shows

See also

In Spanish: Chris Renaud para niños