Pete Docter | |
|---|---|
 Docter at the2009 Venice Film Festival | |
| Born | Peter Hans Docter (1968-10-09)October 9, 1968 (age 56) Bloomington, Minnesota, U.S. |
| Alma mater | California Institute of the Arts (BFA) |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1985–present |
| Employer | Pixar Animation Studios (1990–present) |
| Spouse | Amanda Docter |
| Children | 2 |
| Awards | Academy Award for Best Animated Feature Up (2009) Inside Out (2015) Soul (2020) |
| Signature | |
 | |
Peter Hans Docter[1] (born October 9, 1968) is an American filmmaker and animator, who has served aschief creative officer (CCO) ofPixar since 2018.[2][3] He has directed the company's animated filmsMonsters, Inc. (2001),Up (2009),Inside Out (2015), andSoul (2020). From his nineAcademy Award nominations, he is a record-three time recipient ofBest Animated Feature forUp,Inside Out andSoul. Docter has also won sixAnnie Awards from nine nominations, aBAFTA Children's Film Award and aHochi Film Award.[4] He describes himself as a "geeky kid from Minnesota who likes to draw cartoons".[3]
Docter was born on October 9, 1968 inBloomington, Minnesota, the son of Rita Margaret (Kanne) and David Reinhardt Docter.[5] His mother's family isDanish American.[6] He grew upintroverted andsocially isolated, preferring to work alone and having to remind himself to connect with others. He often played in thecreek beside his house, pretending to beIndiana Jones and acting out scenes.[7] A junior-high classmate later described him as "this kid who was really tall, but who was kind of awkward, maybe getting picked on by the school bullies because his voice change at puberty was very rough."[3]
Both his parents worked in education: his mother, Rita, taught music and his father, Dave, was a choral director atNormandale Community College. Docter and his two sisters took music lessons at theMacPhail Center for Music, where they were taught theviolin andviola in theSuzuki method. Unlike his two sisters, Kirsten Docter, who was the violist and a founding member of theCavani String Quartet, and Kari Docter, acellist with theMetropolitan Opera, Docter was not particularly interested inmusic as he didn't like to practice the violin, although he learned to play thedouble bass and played with the orchestras for the soundtracks ofMonsters, Inc.[8] andUp.[9]
Docter attended Nine Mile Elementary School, Oak Grove Junior High, andJohn F. Kennedy High School in Bloomington. Hetaught himselfcartooning, makingflip books and homemade animated shorts with a family movie camera.[3] He later described his interest inanimation as a way to "play God", making up nearly living characters. Cartoon directorChuck Jones, producerWalt Disney, and cartoonistJack Davis were major inspirations.[10]
He spent about a year at theUniversity of Minnesota[3] studying bothphilosophy and makingart[10] before transferring to theCalifornia Institute of the Arts, where he won aStudent Academy Award for his production "Next Door" and graduated in 1990 with aBachelor of Fine Arts.[11] Although Docter had planned to work forWalt Disney Animation Studios, his best offers came fromPixar and fromthe producers ofThe Simpsons.[3] He did not think much of Pixar at that time,[10] and later considered his choice to work there a strange and unusual one.[12]
Before joiningPixar, Docter had created three non-computer animations,Next Door,Palm Springs, andWinter.[13] All three shorts were later preserved by theAcademy Film Archive.[14] He was a fan of the company's early short films, but he knew nothing about them otherwise. He commented in an October 2009 interview, "Looking back, I kind of go, what was I thinking?"[15]
He started at Pixar in 1990 at the age of 21 afterJohn Lasseter asked his former classmate the lateJoe Ranft, who was one of Docter's teachers atCalArts, to recommend any students who would be a good fit for the company.[16][7][17][18] Deciding to follow his instincts and what "felt right" at the time, he accepted the job offer from then obscure Pixar and began work there the day after his college graduation[16][12] as the tenth employee at the company's animation group[10] and its thirdanimator.[19] Docter instantly felt at home in the tight-knit atmosphere of the company. He has said, "Growing up ... a lot of us felt we were the only person in the world who had this weird obsession with animation. Coming to Pixar you feel like, 'Oh! There are others!'"[3]
Docter had been brought in with limited responsibilities, but Lasseter quickly assigned him larger and larger roles in writing, animation, sound recording, and orchestra scoring.[15] He was one of the three key screenwriters behind the concept ofToy Story, and partially based the character ofBuzz Lightyear on himself.[10] He had a mirror on his desk and made faces with it as he conceptualized the character.[15]
Docter's fascination with character development was further influenced by a viewing ofPaper Moon, he told journalistRobert K. Elder in an interview forThe Film That Changed My Life.[20]
I like the more character-driven stuff, andPaper Moon brought that home to me in a way that I had not seen in live action, really focusing on the whole story just about characters. It was almost theatrical in the same way you might see a stage show because you're locked in a room. It's got to be about characters, and yet it was so cinematic, a film that couldn't be done in any other medium. It just kind of blew my socks off.[21]
Docter has been an integral part of some of Pixar's most seminal works, includingToy Story,Toy Story 2,A Bug's Life andMonsters, Inc., all of which received critical acclaim and honors. He contributed to these animated films as a co-author to the scripts, and worked withCGI stalwarts such as Lasseter,Ronnie del Carmen,Bob Peterson,Andrew Stanton,Brad Bird, andJoe Ranft. Docter has referred to his colleagues at Pixar as a bunch of "wild stallions".[12] He is also one of the five founding members of the Pixar Braintrust, which came together during the making ofToy Story (the other four being Lasseter, Stanton, Ranft and Unkrich).[22]
Docter made his directorial debut withMonsters, Inc.—the first Pixar film not directed by Lasseter—which occurred right after the birth of his first child, Nick. Docter has said that the abrupt move from a complete, single-minded devotion to his career to parenting drove him "upside down" and formed the inspiration for the storyline.[23] In 2004, he was asked by Lasseter to direct theEnglish translation ofHowl's Moving Castle.[24] Docter then directed the 2009 filmUp, released on May 29, 2009. He based the protagonist ofUp partially on himself, based on his frequent feelings of social awkwardness and his desire to get away from crowds to contemplate.[7] Following the success ofUp, Docter and fellowPixar veterans Lasseter, Stanton andLee Unkrich as well as long-time collaborator and directorBrad Bird were honored with theGolden Lion Honorary Award for Lifetime Achievement at the66th Venice International Film Festival.[25][26] Docter directed the 2015 filmInside Out to critical acclaim.[27] His next film,Soul, was released onDisney+ on December 25, 2020, to critical acclaim.[28][29]
Docter appeared at Comic-Con 2008 and the 2009 WonderCon.[30]
In May 2009, Docter remarked retrospectively toChristianity Today that he had lived "a blessed life" so far.[7]The A.V. Club has called him "almost universally successful".[12] He has been nominated for eightOscars (winning three), threeAnnie Awards (winning two), fourBAFTA Film Awards (winning two), aBritish Academy Children's Award (which he won), and aHochi Film Award (which he won).[4] Accepting his firstAcademy Award for Best Animated Feature, he said, "Never did I dream that making a flip book out of my third-grade math book would lead to this."[31] Docter served as Vice-President of Creativity atPixar Animation Studios through June 2018, and following Lasseter stepping down from the role, became the studio's chief creative officer.[2][32]TheWrap reported that Docter planned to complete the film he began working on in 2016, which ultimately becameSoul.[33]
Docter received theWinsor McCay Award at the 2023 Annie Awards ceremony along with fellow animatorsCraig McCracken andEvelyn Lambart, for his "unparalleled achievement and exceptional contributions to animation".[34]
Docter is married to Amanda Docter and has two children, Nicholas and Elie.[7] Elie has a speaking part inUp and was the inspiration for the character of Riley inInside Out.[35]
Docter is afan ofanime, particularly the work ofHayao Miyazaki. Docter has said that Miyazaki's animation has "beautifully observed little moments of truth that you just recognize and respond to".[24] He is also a fan of the filmography of Pixar competitorDreamWorks. Referring to the competitive environment, he has said: "I think it's a much healthier environment when there is more diversity".[12]
During an interview in 2009, Docter confirmed that he is aChristian and said that it influences his work. However, he went on to say that he did not envision himself ever creating a Christian film.[10] About the relationship between his faith and his filmmaking, Docter has said:
I don't think people in any way, shape, or form like to be lectured to. When people go to a movie, they want to see some sort of experience of themselves on the screen. They don't come to be taught. So in that sense, and in terms of any sort of beliefs, I don't want to feel as though I'm ever lecturing or putting an agenda forth.[7]
| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Animator | Story Artist | Executive Producer | Other | Voice Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Toy Story | No | Original Story | Supervising | Yes | No | No | ||
| 1998 | A Bug's Life | No | No | No | Additional | No | No | ||
| 1999 | Toy Story 2 | No | Original Story | No | No | No | No | ||
| 2001 | Monsters, Inc. | Yes | Original Story | Partial[36] | No | No | Yes | CDA Agent 00002 | |
| 2003 | Finding Nemo | No | No | No | No | No | No | Brain Trust, uncredited | |
| 2004 | The Incredibles | No | No | No | No | No | Yes | Additional Voices | |
| 2005 | Howl's Moving Castle[24] | No | No | No | No | No | Yes | Director: English Dub, U.S. Version | |
| 2006 | Cars | No | No | No | No | No | No | Brain Trust, uncredited | |
| 2007 | Ratatouille | No | No | No | No | No | Yes | Pixar Productions | |
| 2008 | WALL-E | No | Original Story | No | No | No | Yes | Additional Voices | Pixar Senior Creative Team[37] - uncredited onUp andInside Out |
| 2009 | Up | Yes | Yes | Partial[36] | No | No | Yes | Campmaster Strauch, Kevin | |
| 2010 | Toy Story 3 | No | No | No | No | No | Yes | ||
| 2011 | Cars 2 | No | No | No | No | No | Yes | ||
| 2012 | Brave | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | ||
| 2013 | Monsters University | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | ||
| 2015 | Inside Out | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | Yes | Dad's Anger | |
| The Good Dinosaur | No | No | No | No | No | Yes | |||
| 2016 | Finding Dory | No | No | No | No | No | Yes | ||
| 2017 | Cars 3 | No | No | No | No | No | Yes | ||
| Coco | No | No | No | No | No | Yes | |||
| 2018 | Incredibles 2 | No | No | No | No | No | Yes | ||
| 2019 | Toy Story 4 | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | ||
| 2020 | Onward | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | ||
| Soul | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | Yes | |||
| 2021 | Luca | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | ||
| 2022 | Turning Red | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | ||
| Lightyear | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | |||
| 2023 | Elemental | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | ||
| 2024 | Inside Out 2 | Partial[38] | No | Partial[39] | No | Yes | Yes | Dad's Anger | |
| 2025 | Elio | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | ||
| 2026 | Hoppers[40] | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | ||
| Toy Story 5 | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | |||
| TBA | Incredibles 3[41] | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | ||
| 2029 | Coco 2[42][43] | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Animator | Executive Producer | Other | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | Behind the Scenes at Camelot | No | No | No | No | Yes | Himself | [44] |
| 1988 | Winter | Yes | Yes | Yes | Producer | No | [13] | |
| 1989 | Palm Springs | Yes | No | Yes | No | Yes | Sigmond Dinosaur | [13] |
| Cranium Command | No | No | Yes | No | No | |||
| 1990 | Next Door[13] | Yes | No | Yes | No | Yes | Old Man | Composer |
| 1997 | Geri's Game | No | No | Yes | No | No | ||
| 2002 | Mike's New Car | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | Original Story | |
| 2005 | Mr. Incredible and Pals | No | No | No | No | Yes | Mr. Incredible | |
| 2009 | Dug's Special Mission | No | No | No | Yes | No | ||
| George and A.J. | No | No | No | Yes | No | |||
| Let's Pollute | No | No | No | No | Yes | Musician: Bass | ||
| 2013 | Party Central | No | No | No | Yes | No | ||
| 2015 | Riley's First Date? | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Dad's Anger | |
| 2017 | Lou | No | No | No | Yes | No | ||
| 2018 | Bao | No | No | No | Yes | No | ||
| 2019–20 | Forky Asks a Question | No | No | No | Yes | No | ||
| 2020 | Loop | No | No | No | No | Yes | Story Trust | |
| Lamp Life | No | No | No | Yes | No | [45] | ||
| Dory's Reef Cam | No | No | No | Yes | No | [46] | ||
| 2021 | Pixar Popcorn | No | No | No | Yes | No | [47] | |
| 22 vs. Earth | No | No | No | Yes | No | [48] | ||
| 2021-23 | Dug Days | No | No | No | Yes | No | [49] | |
| 2024 | Dream Productions | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Pixar Senior Creative Team[50] | |
| 2025 | Win or Lose | No | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Boundin' | Special Thanks |
| 2007 | Fog City Mavericks | |
| The Pixar Story | Himself; Very Special Thanks | |
| 2008 | Presto | Special Thanks |
| 2009 | Partly Cloudy | |
| 2010 | Day & Night | |
| 2011 | La Luna | |
| 2013 | The Blue Umbrella | |
| Toy Story of Terror! | Extra Special Thanks | |
| 2014 | Toy Story That Time Forgot | |
| Lava | Special Thanks | |
| 2015 | Sanjay's Super Team | |
| 2016 | Piper | |
| 2017 | Baby Driver[51] | Special Thanks - uncredited |
| 2019 | Purl | Special Thanks |
| Kitbull | ||
| Float | ||
| Frozen II | ||
| Wind | ||
| 2020 | Out | |
| One Night in Miami... | ||
| Borat Subsequent Moviefilm | ||
| Canvas | ||
| Burrow | ||
| 2020–2021 | Inside Pixar[52] | |
| 2021 | Monsters at Work | |
| Twenty Something | ||
| Nona | ||
| A Spark Story | Himself; Special Thanks | |
| Ciao Alberto | Special Thanks | |
| Pixar 2021 Disney+ Day Special | Himself[53] | |
| 2022 | Embrace the Panda: Making 'Turning Red' | Special Thanks[54] |
| Beyond Infinity: Buzz and the Journey to 'Lightyear' | Himself; Special Thanks[55] | |
| Cars on the Road | Special Thanks; Pixar Senior Creative Team | |
| 2023 | Good Chemistry: The Story of 'Elemental'[56] | Special Thanks |
| 2024 | Self |
Critical, public and commercial reception to films Docter has directed as of January 9, 2021.Soul was released directly toDisney+ in 2020 primarily in response to the COVID-19 pandemic which was a contributing factor to its box office earnings.Soul would later have a limited theatrical run in 2024.[57][58]
| Film | Rotten Tomatoes[59] | Metacritic[60] | CinemaScore[61] | Budget | Box office[62] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monsters, Inc. | 96% (196 reviews) | 79 (35 reviews) | A+ | $115 million | $577.4 million |
| Up | 98% (295 reviews) | 88 (37 reviews) | A+ | $175 million | $735.1 million |
| Inside Out | 98% (369 reviews) | 94 (55 reviews) | A | $175 million | $857.6 million |
| Soul | 95% (309 reviews) | 83 (55 reviews) | N/A | $150 million | $120.9 million |
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Toy Story | Best Original Screenplay | Nominated | [63] |
| 2001 | Monsters, Inc. | Best Animated Feature | Nominated | [64] |
| 2002 | Mike's New Car | Best Animated Short Film | Nominated | [65] |
| 2008 | WALL-E | Best Original Screenplay | Nominated | [66] |
| 2009 | Up | Best Animated Feature | Won | [67] |
| Best Original Screenplay | Nominated | |||
| 2015 | Inside Out | Best Animated Feature | Won | [68] |
| Best Original Screenplay | Nominated | |||
| 2020 | Soul | Best Animated Feature | Won | [69] |
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Toy Story | Best Individual Achievement in Animation | Won | |
| 2000 | Toy Story 2 | Outstanding Achievement in Writing | Won | |
| 2002 | Monsters, Inc. | Directing in a Feature Production | Nominated | |
| 2010 | Up | Directing in a Feature Production | Won | |
| Writing in a Feature Production | Nominated | |||
| 2016 | Inside Out | Directing in a Feature Production | Won | |
| Writing in a Feature Production | Won | |||
| 2021 | Soul | Directing in a Feature Production | Nominated | |
| Writing in a Feature Production | Won |
Pete Docter has cast certain actors and crew members in multiple of the films he has directed.
| Monsters, Inc. | Up | Inside Out | Soul | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mary Gibbs |  N | N | ||
| Bob Peterson | N | N | ||
| John Ratzenberger | N | N | N | |
| Frank Oz | N | N | ||
| Jeff Pidgeon | N | N | ||
| Himself | N | N | N | |
| Danny Mann | N | N | ||
| Mickie McGowan | N | N | ||
| Josh Cooley | N | N | ||
| John Cygan | N | N | ||
| Ronnie del Carmen | N | N |
I actually got to animate on the end ofMonsters. I did the last shot of that, and I did one shot in this one, toward the end where they're sitting eating ice cream, although I needed a lot of help getting it done.
I do. I got to direct a little bit on "Inside Out 2"
Docter even revealed that he personally animated a pivotal moment in "Inside Out 2," surprising the film's director, Kelsey Mann, by showing up as an animator for a day.
