Chris Wedge facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Chris Wedge
Wedge in 2014
Born	John Christian Wedge (1957-03-20) March 20, 1957 (age 68) Binghamton, New York, U.S.
Alma mater	State University of New York at Purchase Ohio State University
Occupation	Filmmaker animator designer voice actor cartoonist
Years active	1982–present
Employer	Blue Sky Studios (1987–2021) Annapurna Animation (2023–present)
Spouse(s)	Jeanne Markel
Children	2
Awards	Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film Bunny (1998)
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John Christian Wedge (born March 20, 1957) is an American filmmaker, animator, and voice actor. He is famous for helping start Blue Sky Studios, a well-known animation company that is now closed.

Chris Wedge directed the short film Bunny (1998), which won an Academy Award. He also directed popular movies like Ice Age (2002), Robots (2005), and Epic (2013). You might also know him as the voice of Scrat, the funny squirrel-like character in the Ice Age movies!

Early Life and Education

Chris Wedge was born in Binghamton, New York. When he was about 12 years old, he became very interested in animation. He saw a TV show about kids making simple cut-out animations. This inspired him to start creating things, and he continued throughout his childhood and college years.

He went to Fayetteville-Manlius High School and graduated in 1975. Later, he studied film at the State University of New York at Purchase. He also earned a master's degree in computer graphics at the Ohio State University. He even taught animation in New York City, where he met Carlos Saldanha, who would become his directing partner.

Career in Animation

Chris Wedge started his career in 1982. He worked on the Disney film Tron, where he helped program scenes. He also contributed to other films like The Brave Little Toaster.

Blue Sky Studios

Wedge was a co-founder of Blue Sky Studios. This studio became one of the top computer animation companies. He was the Vice President of Creative Development there until the studio closed in 2021. Chris Wedge also owns his own film company called WedgeWorks.

In the 1990s, he and his team at Blue Sky Studios worked on special computer-generated effects for movies. These included Alien Resurrection and Titan A.E..

Directing and Voice Acting

In 1998, Chris Wedge won an Academy Award for his short animated film Bunny. This was a big achievement!

He then directed Blue Sky Studios' first full-length computer-animated movie, Ice Age, in 2002. He also helped produce its sequels. In the Ice Age series, he provides the squeaks and squeals for the beloved character Scrat.

In 2005, Wedge directed Robots, which was based on a story he created. In 2013, he directed Epic, which was inspired by a book called The Leaf Men and the Brave Good Bugs.

Chris Wedge also directed the live-action science fiction film Monster Trucks in 2016.

More recently, he returned to voice Scrat in new short films for Disney+. These shorts, called Ice Age: Scrat Tales, came out in April 2022. In 2023, it was announced that Chris Wedge joined Annapurna Animation. He will direct a new animated film there called FOO. It's about the first fish to ever climb out of the water and onto land!

Personal Life

Chris Wedge lives in Katonah, New York, with his wife, Jeanne Markel. They have two children, a daughter named Sarah and a son named Jack.

Filmography

Feature films

Short films

Television episodes and specials

Video games

Awards and Nominations

Chris Wedge has won several awards for his amazing work in animation.

See also

In Spanish: Chris Wedge para niños