OCAD U mourns the passing of former student, renowned animator Richard Williams
August 20, 2019
Richard Williams, photo courtesy: ITV/Shutterstock
Acclaimed animator Richard Williams passed away at the age of 86 in Bristol, England. Born and raised in Toronto, Williams attended the Ontario College of Art from 1949 to 1953. He later moved to Britain, where he worked to this day.
Williams is best known for his work as the animation director of Who Framed Roger Rabbit. The film is regarded as a turning point in the field of animation due to the seamless addition of cartoon character to live action footage.
Early in his career, he designed animated title sequences or special effects for films including What’s New Pussycat? (1965), A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1966), Casino Royale (1967), The Return of the Pink Panther (1975) and The Pink Panther Strikes Again (1976).