Known for his fanboy-ish charm and Hawaiian shirts, Pixar’s Chief Creative Officer (and figurehead) John Lasseter will receive an award from entertainment industry publication Variety next week to honor his accomplishments.
Lasseter, chief creative officer at Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios, will be recognized for his efforts mentoring young execs and creative talent in the biz.
“John has and will always be a creative pioneer in the film industry,” said Variety publisher Brian Gott. “His ability to foster the young creative minds of the next generation of filmmakers is as undeniable as his ability to reach moviegoers of all ages with his rich and diverse storylines.”
The Oct. 11 event will mark Variety’s inaugural Hollywood’s New Leaders feature, which spotlights the next generation of power players in the entertainment biz, and the pub’s 10 Assistants to Watch list profiling the industry’s top up-and-coming executive assistants. The invite-only cocktail reception will celebrate Lasseter and these emerging decisionmakers.
Lasseter, who is also the principal creative adviser for Walt Disney Imagineering, has won two Academy Awards, for the short “Tin Toy” and for the innovations behind the first “Toy Story.” He has also directed “A Bug’s Life,” “Toy Story 2,” “Cars” and “Cars 2.”
Congrats to Lasseter! We’ve always been impressed by his true passion for everything Disney and Pixar.