Kelly Asbury Dead: Oscar Nominated ‘Shrek 2’ Director Dies at 60

Kelly Asbury, the animator and Oscar-nominated director, has died at the age of 60 after a battle with cancer. Asbury worked for Disney and DreamWorks during his career.

According to Asbury’s IMDb page, he directed five animated feature films during his career. His first, Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron, was released in 2002. That was followed by Shrek 2 in 2004. Asbury’s next release was 2011’s Gnomeo & Juliet. In 2017, Asbury directed Smurfs: The Lost Village. His final directorial effort was 2019’s Ugly Dolls. In addition to directing, Asbury also contributed voices to Shrek 2 and Gnomeo and Juliet.

Asbury worked on some of the most famous animated films of all time. In 1991, Asbury was credited as the writer of Beauty & the Beast. In 2013, Asbury worked as the story artist on Frozen. A year earlier, Asbury worked on Wreck-it Ralph in the same role. Asbury was also the story artist on Toy Story in 1995, Kung Fu Panda and Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa, both in 2008.

One Social Media Tribute Said That Asbury Was Known as ‘Kell-go’ in the Animation Industry

GettyAsbury at the United Nations Headquarters celebrating International Day of Happiness on March 18, 2017 in New York City.

Asbury’s death was confirmed in Facebook post by Inside Out writer Ronnie del Carmen. Del Carmen wrote, “Kelly Asbury has passed away. So sorry to hear this today. Everyone loved Kelly, it’s impossible to not be charmed by him or feed off of his positive energy. We worked together on Prince of Egypt and when I joined Pixar stories of the great “Kell-god” was already legend. I will miss him dearly. Rest In Peace dear friend.”

The Secret Life of Pets writer Brian Lynch paid tribute to Asbury on Twitter saying, “Rest in Peace, Kelly Asbury. A legend in animation, his name is on so many beloved movies. Co-directed the underrated Spirit, and directed one of the funniest animated movies ever made, Shrek 2. His work will be discovered and adored by audiences for generations to come.”

Fellow animator Tom Sito wrote in a Facebook post that Asbury “was dealing with cancer for a number of years.” Sito added, “He fought it bravely, and wanted no one to feel pity for him. He met every challenge, including this final one, with a smile.”

Asbury was a native of Beaumont, Texas, but was living in Encino, California at the time of his death.

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