‘Shrek 2’ Director and Former Disney Creative Kelly Asbury Has Passed Away at the Age of 60
Here at MickeyBlog, we here at MickeyBlog are sad to share the news that the World just lost a vital force in the world of animation with the news that Kelly Asbury a writer-director and voice actor has passed away at the age of 60.
Asbury was battling cancer and according to reports died peacefully Friday in Encino, California.
Asbury is best known for directing Shrek 2, Smurfs: The Lost Village, Gnomeo and Juliet and for Co-writing Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. .Asbury’s death was reported Deadline over the weekend and has been confirmed by his rep who said, “He was one of the most admired and beloved people in the industry, It’s heartbreaking for everyone.”
Asbury was nominated three times for Annie Awards including for directing Shrek 2 and for writing and directing 2011’s Gnomeo & Juliet. He was also nominated twice by the Cannes Film Festival for a Palme d’Or for both Shrek 2 and 2002’s Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron. Last year he directed UglyDolls.
Asbury was a member of the no-famous CalArts crew and started his career working on the ABC series the Littles in 1985. Other projects include The Black Cauldron, The Little Mermaid, Rescuers Down Under, Nightmare Before Christmas and James and the Giant Peach.
Asbury also worked as a story artist for Pixar’s Toy Story and contributed to other projects including Chicken Run, Wreck-It-Ralph and Frozen. Asbury also voiced characters in Shrek the Third, Sherlock Gnomes and more.
Source; Deadline