Andrew Stanton
A master storyteller at Pixar who built entire, believable worlds from the anxieties of a clownfish and the loneliness of a trash-compacting robot.
Born 1965 (age 61)·American filmmaker, voice actor, and animator·Birthday: December 3·Generation X
Biography
Andrew Stanton is one of the foundational architects of Pixar's storytelling ethos, a writer and director who understands that the most fantastical premises require deeply human emotional cores. Joining the company as its second animator, he was instrumental in shaping the studio's early hits, co-writing the existential toy crisis of 'Toy Story.' His directorial debut, 'Finding Nemo,' transformed a father's worry into a vibrant oceanic epic, while 'WALL-E' dared to tell a poignant love story with barely any dialogue in its first act, using the language of cinema itself. His career is a testament to creative risk, encompassing both the ambitious stumble of the live-action 'John Carter' and a return to form with 'Finding Dory.' Stanton operates on a simple, powerful principle: make the audience care, and they'll follow you anywhere, even to the bottom of the ocean or the wastes of a deserted Earth.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Andrew was born in 1965, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Andrew Was Born
The biggest hits of 1965
#1 Movie
The Sound of Music
Best Picture
The Sound of Music
#1 TV Show
Bonanza
Andrew's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1965Born
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
1970Started school
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1978Became a teenager
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1981Could drive
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1983Could vote
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1986Turned 21
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1995Turned 30
Oklahoma City bombing; Windows 95 released
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $96,500Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Gangsta's Paradise" — CoolioBest Picture: Braveheart
2005Turned 40
Hurricane Katrina devastates New Orleans; YouTube launches
Gas: $2.30/galHome: $167,500Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"We Belong Together" — Mariah CareyBest Picture: Crash
2015Turned 50
Paris climate agreement; same-sex marriage legalized in the US
Gas: $2.43/galHome: $171,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Uptown Funk" — Mark Ronson ft. Bruno MarsBest Picture: Spotlight
2025Turned 60
AI agents go mainstream
Gas: $3.10/galHome: $385,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"APT." — Rose & Bruno Mars
2026Age 61 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won two Academy Awards for Best Animated Feature, for 'Finding Nemo' and 'WALL-E.'
- Co-wrote the screenplay for the first 'Toy Story,' helping to define the template for modern CGI animated features.
- Directed 'WALL-E,' a critically adored film whose nearly wordless first half is a masterclass in visual storytelling.
- Served as a key creative executive at Pixar for over two decades, influencing the story direction of numerous films.
Did You Know?
He provided the voice of the laid-back sea turtle Crush in 'Finding Nemo' and 'Finding Dory.'
The concept for 'Finding Nemo' emerged from his own feelings of overprotectiveness as a new father visiting an aquarium.
He is a devoted student of film history and often cites the silent era and classic Hollywood as major influences on his work.
He wrote the famous Pixar rule 'You gotta have a conflict' that is part of the studio's 22 rules of storytelling.
“The most important question you can ask yourself about your story is, 'What is this about?'”
