Richard Williams, Animator and Roger Rabbit Creator, Dies at 86

Richard Williams, an Oscar-winning animator best known for creating Roger Rabbit, died on Friday. He was 86.

His family announced that he passed away in his Bristol, U.K. home, according to The Guardian.

Williams, who was born in Toronto and moved to the U.K. in the 1950s, won three Oscars and three BAFTAs. He is most notable for his work as the animation director on Robert Zemeckis’ 1988 film “Who Framed Roger Rabbit?” which starred Bob Hoskins and Christopher Lloyd. Roger and Jessica Rabbit are two of his many creations.

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The film is considered a landmark achievement for blending live-action with animation, earning $330 million at the box office. Williams won two Oscars for that film for Best Visual Effects and a Special Achievement Oscar. He also won a visual affects BAFTA.

Williams is also known for his work on “The Pink Panther,” where he animated the title sequences for the 1970s-era films.

His first film, “The Little Island” won him a BAFTA in 1958 and his first Oscar came in 1971 for his animated adaptation of “A Christmas Carol.” He also wrote, directed and produced the unfinished “The Thief and the Cobbler,” which went in and out of production over a 31-year period.

Williams published “The Animator’s Survival Kit: A Manual of Methods, Principles and Formulas for Classical, Computer, Games, Stop Motion and Internet Animators” in 2001.

Read original story Richard Williams, Animator and Roger Rabbit Creator, Dies at 86 At TheWrap