Joe Ranft
A master storyteller and beloved mentor at Pixar, his wit and warmth shaped the emotional core of the studio's earliest classics.
1960–2005 (age 45)·American screenwriter·Birthday: March 13·Baby Boomers
Biography
Joe Ranft was the beating heart of the story room at Pixar during its formative years. Starting his career at Disney, where he contributed to films like 'Who Framed Roger Rabbit,' he brought a deep understanding of character and gag structure to the nascent computer animation studio. As Head of Story on 'Toy Story,' he was instrumental in cracking the narrative code for the first fully CG feature, famously pitching the concept of Woody's jealousy. His voice acting, like the gentle Heimlich the caterpillar in 'A Bug's Life,' revealed his inherent kindness. Ranft's collaborative spirit and relentless focus on emotional truth left an indelible mark on every film he touched, making him a foundational figure in modern animation.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Joe was born in 1960, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Joe Was Born
The biggest hits of 1960
#1 Movie
Swiss Family Robinson
Best Picture
The Apartment
#1 TV Show
Gunsmoke
Joe's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1960Born
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1965Started school
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
1973Became a teenager
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1976Could drive
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1978Could vote
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
1981Turned 21
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
1990Turned 30
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
2000Turned 40
Y2K passes without incident; contested Bush-Gore election
Gas: $1.51/galHome: $119,600Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Breathe" — Faith HillBest Picture: Gladiator
2005Died at 45
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
Key Achievements
- Served as Head of Story on Pixar's groundbreaking first feature, 'Toy Story' (1995).
- Received a posthumous Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay for 'Cars' (2006).
- Was a key story contributor on major Disney films of the 1990s, including 'The Lion King' and 'Beauty and the Beast'.
Did You Know?
He was an accomplished juggler and would often juggle during story meetings to help brainstorm.
He provided the voice for both Jacques the shrimp in 'Finding Nemo' and Wheezy the penguin in 'Toy Story 2'.
His brother, Jerome Ranft, is a sculptor who has worked on many Pixar films, creating maquettes of characters.
“The story is the foundation; everything else is built on that.”
