Veteran animator Kelly Asbury has passed away after a long battle with cancer. He was 60 years old.
"This was one of the most admired and beloved people in the industry," Asbury's representative Nancy Newhouse Porter said, after confirming his passing.
Asbury worked on several animated films, most notably on the first Toy Story movie as a story artist. He contributed to numerous other Disney films over his career, including The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast (1991), The Nightmare Before Christmas and Frozen. He also served as director for Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron, Shrek 2 and Gnomeo & Juliet for DreamWorks Animation.
During the course of his career, Asbury was mentored by legendary animation artist Chuck Jones; Jones was famous for working on Looney Tunes and Tom & Jerry. He was also a three-time Annie Awards nominee.
Asbury's last project was the STX Entertainment film Uglydolls (2019), which was produced by and based on a story by Robert Rodriguez. The cast includes Kelly Clarkson, Nick Jonas, Janelle Monáe, Blake Shelton, Wanda Sykes, Gabriel Iglesias, and Pitbull.
Asbury is survived by his wife, Jacquie; stepsons Andrew and Connor; sister Gwen; and niece Leslie.
(via The Hollywood Reporter)