Brad Bird

Brad Bird, born as Philip Bradley Bird, is an illustrious American filmmaker, animator, and voice actor, possessing a career spanning over four distinct decades in both animation and live-action. Born in Montana and raised in Oregon, Bird developed a passion for animation early on, finishing his first short film by the age of 14. This film led to an apprenticeship with Walt Disney Productions, fostering his talent under the guidance of the studio's iconic Nine Old Men. Bird attended the California Institute of the Arts in the late 70s and soon started working for Disney.

Bird's career saw him involved in various film development projects with different studios. He penned the screenplay for Batteries Not Included (1987) and developed two episodes of Amazing Stories for Steven Spielberg. After a successful stint as a creative consultant on The Simpsons for eight seasons, Bird directed his first traditional animated feature The Iron Giant (1999). Soon after, he joined Pixar and delivered critical and commercial smash hits including The Incredibles (2004) and Ratatouille (2007), earning him two Academy Awards for Best Animated Feature. Bird transitioned into live-action filmmaking with Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol (2011), and continues to be active in the industry, with his most recent venture being Incredibles 2 (2018).