Bud Luckey, the animator behind Woody in Pixar’s Toy Story, has died at the age of 83.
The Hollywood Reporter reports that the Oscar-nominated animator, who also contributed voices for some of the characters in the Pixar series of movies, died after an extended illness at home in Connecticut.
Luckey is credited with coming up with the cowboy design for Woody of Toy Story, but also voiced the characters Rick Dicker, the head of the Superhero Relocation Program in The Incredibles, and also Chuckles, the sad clown from Toy Story 3.
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Luckey also worked on Sesame Street, and also wrote, directed, narrated, voiced, sung and composed the five-minute film Boundin’, about a dancing sheep that turns shy after he is sheared.
Pixar’s John Lasseter said of him: “Bud Luckey is one of the true unsung heroes of animation.”
“Bud helped design most of the films we’ve made from Toy Story onward. He was the fifth animator hired here at Pixar,” Lasseter added.
His son, Andy posted the following statement on Facebook.
Bud Luckey 1934-2018
With great sadness, I announce the passing of my Dad: Bud Luckey.
My Dad was best known for his work in animation (Pixar/Disney/Sesame Street) and as a voice actor (Eeyore, Agent Rick Dicker, Chuckles the Clown et al.). He loved his work but got even greater satisfaction from seeing others enjoy it.
He’ll be deeply missed by his friends, family, and colleagues to whom he was just “Bud.” His kind and easy
going demeanor led his PIXAR colleagues to dub him “Bud Low-Key.”He served in the U.S. Air Force during the Korean War.
In lieu of flowers, our family encourages donations to The California Institute of The Arts — Bud Luckey Scholarship Fund.
