Los Angeles Times

Disney, Pixar Animation executive John Lasseter to take leave of absence, citing 'missteps'

LOS ANGELES - John Lasseter, the chief creative officer of Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios, is taking a six-month leave of absence, citing unspecified "missteps," a stunning reversal of fortune for a figure so influential in Hollywood he has often been compared to Walt Disney.

Lasseter, the pioneering executive who built Emeryville, Calif.-based Pixar Animation Studios into an entertainment juggernaut and helped revive Disney's once-struggling animation business, said in a memo to staff Tuesday that the decision followed a "number of difficult conversations that have been very painful for me."

He added: "It's never easy to face your missteps, but it's the only way to learn from them. ... It's been brought to my attention that I have made some of you feel disrespected or uncomfortable. That was never my intent."

People close to the studio

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles Times10 min read
With 'Palm Royale,' Bruce And Laura Dern Are (finally) Father And Daughter On Screen
LOS ANGELES — Laura Dern and her father, veteran actor Bruce Dern, are in a room together and, within minutes, the stories begin. There was talk about the advice he received from the giants that orbited his life — like Elia Kazan, whom Bruce studied
Los Angeles Times8 min read
Higher Prices On The Menu As Fast-food Chains Brace For California’s Big Minimum Wage Jump
Chipotle, McDonald’s, Starbucks, Jack in the Box and Shake Shack are planning to raise menu prices. Fast-food franchisees are laying off employees or cutting their hours. Smaller independent business owners, meanwhile, worry their workers will bolt u
Los Angeles Times2 min readInternational Relations
Editorial: The Humanitarian Aid Gaza Needs Most Is A Cease-fire
In Gaza, famine is imminent. To get urgently needed food, clean water, temporary sanitation facilities and medical supplies to more than 2 million Palestinians, President Biden ordered construction of a floating dock. Building it will take weeks. In

Related Books & Audiobooks