Lee Unkrich facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lee Unkrich
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Unkrich at the 2009 Venice Film Festival
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| Born |
Lee Edward Unkrich
August 8, 1967 |
| Alma mater | University of Southern California |
| Occupation |
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| Years active | 1990–present |
| Employer | Pixar Animation Studios (1994–present) |
| Spouse(s) |
Laura Century
(m. 1993) |
| Children | 3 |
| Awards | Academy Award for Best Animated Feature Toy Story 3 (2010) Coco (2017) |
Lee Edward Unkrich, born on August 8, 1967, is an American film director, editor, and writer. He is famous for his work at Pixar, the animation studio. He joined Pixar in 1994 as an editor. Later, he became a co-director for movies like Toy Story 2 (1999).
After Toy Story 2 did well, he also co-directed Monsters, Inc. (2001) and Finding Nemo (2003). His first movie as the main director was Toy Story 3 (2010). Both Toy Story 3 and his other directed film, Coco (2017), won two Academy Awards: Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song.
Unkrich worked at Pixar for 25 years. He left in January 2019 to spend more time with his family. However, he returned to the studio and is now directing a sequel to Coco.
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Early Life and Career Beginnings
Unkrich grew up in Chagrin Falls, Ohio. He was the only child of Emilie and Robert Unkrich. His father was an artist and a veteran of World War II. Lee Unkrich was raised in the Jewish faith. As a young person, he enjoyed acting at Cleveland Play House. He graduated from the University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts in 1990.
Before joining Pixar, Unkrich worked in television. He was an editor and director for several years. In 1994, Pixar hired him for a short time, just four weeks. But he ended up staying with the company for 25 years. In 2011, he received the Mary Pickford Distinguished Alumni Award. This award recognizes people from the University of Southern California who have made important contributions to movies.
In January 2019, Unkrich announced he was leaving Pixar. He wanted to spend more time with his family. He also wanted to work on other interests he had put aside. Since 2019, Unkrich has sometimes worked as a consultant for Pixar. In March 2025, it was announced that a sequel to Coco was being made. Unkrich is returning to co-direct this new film with Adrian Molina.
Lee Unkrich's Filmography
Feature Films
| Year | Title | Director | (Original) Story by |
Film Editor |
Executive Producer |
Other | Voice Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Toy Story | No | No | Yes | No | No | ||
| 1998 | A Bug's Life | No | No | Supervising | No | Yes | Additional Voices | |
| 1999 | Toy Story 2 | Co-Director | No | Yes | No | Yes | Red Rocker | Additional Story Material |
| 2001 | Monsters, Inc. | Co-Director | No | Additional | No | Yes | Additional Voices | |
| 2003 | Finding Nemo | Co-Director | No | Supervising | No | Yes | Additional Voices | |
| 2004 | The Incredibles | No | No | No | No | No | Brain Trust - uncredited | |
| 2006 | Cars | No | No | Additional | No | No | ||
| 2007 | Ratatouille | No | No | No | No | No | ||
| 2008 | WALL-E | No | No | No | No | Yes | Pixar Senior Creative Team | |
| 2009 | Up | No | No | No | No | Yes | ||
| 2010 | Toy Story 3 | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Jack-In-The-Box / Scotch-Taped Monkey | Additional Screenplay Material Pixar Senior Creative Team |
| 2011 | Cars 2 | No | No | No | No | Yes | Pixar Senior Creative Team | |
| 2012 | Brave | No | No | No | No | Yes | ||
| 2013 | Monsters University | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | ||
| 2015 | Inside Out | No | No | No | No | Yes | ||
| The Good Dinosaur | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | |||
| 2016 | Finding Dory | No | No | No | No | Yes | ||
| 2017 | Cars 3 | No | No | No | No | Yes | ||
| Coco | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Elote Skeleton | ||
| 2018 | Incredibles 2 | No | No | No | No | Yes | ||
| 2019 | Toy Story 4 | No | No | Additional | Yes | Yes | ||
| 2020 | Onward | No | No | Additional | No | Yes | ||
| Soul | No | No | No | No | Yes | Special Thanks | ||
| 2021 | Luca | No | No | No | No | Yes | Pixar Senior Creative Team | |
| 2022 | Turning Red | No | No | No | No | Yes | ||
| Lightyear | No | No | No | No | Yes | |||
| 2023 | Elemental | No | No | No | No | Yes | ||
| 2029 | Coco 2 | Yes | TBA | TBA | No | Yes |
Television Work
- Prison Stories: Women on the Inside (1991) (production assistant)
- Silk Stalkings (1991) (assistant editor, editor, director)
- Renegade (1993) (assistant editor)
- Betrayed by Love (1994) (assistant editor)
- Separated by Murder (1995) (editor)
Documentaries
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2007 | The Pixar Story | Himself |
| 2022 | Beyond Infinity: Buzz and the Journey to 'Lightyear' |
Short Films and TV Specials
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | For the Birds | Thanks |
| 2002 | Mike's New Car | Special Thanks |
| 2008 | Presto | |
| 2011 | Toy Story Toons: Hawaiian Vacation | |
| 2013 | The Blue Umbrella | |
| Toy Story of Terror! | Extra Special Thanks | |
| 2014 | Toy Story That Time Forgot | |
| Lava | Special Thanks | |
| 2015 | Sanjay's Super Team | |
| 2016 | Piper | |
| 2018 | La Noria | |
| 2019 | Float | |
| 2020 | Loop | Story Trust |
| 2021 | Pixar Popcorn: A Day in the Life of the Dead | Special Thanks |
| 2022 | Cars on the Road | Pixar Senior Creative Team |
| 2025 | Win or Lose |
See also
In Spanish: Lee Unkrich para niños
