Robert Walker (1961 – April 1, 2015) was a Canadian-born American animator who co-directed theAcademy Award-nominatedBrother Bear withAaron Blaise.[1]
Walker was born inToronto,Ontario, and raised inOttawa, where he attendedGloucester High School. He had an older sister Sandra, and a younger brother, Jim.[2] Walker studied animation atSheridan College. Upon his graduation, he was hired byAtkinson Film-Arts and worked on the animated showsDennis the Menace andThe Raccoons.[3] Walker joinedWalt Disney Animation Studios at theirFlorida location in 1989. His first project with Disney was theRoger Rabbit short filmRoller Coaster Rabbit. He also worked onThe Rescuers Down Under (1990),Beauty and the Beast (1991),Aladdin (1992),The Lion King (1994),Mulan (1998), andLilo & Stitch (2002).[4] He died of a heart attack at his California home in 2015, aged 54.[2][5]