Kelly Asbury, Director of ‘Shrek’ and ‘Smurfs’ Sequels, Dead at 60

Kelly Asbury, best known for directing Shrek 2 and Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron, has died at the age of 60. His representative, Nancy Newhouse Porter of Newhouse Porter Hubbard, confirmed the tragic news to Deadline.

“He was one of the most admired and beloved people in the industry,” Porter said. “It’s heartbreaking for everyone.”

The filmmaker/animator/author died peacefully Friday in Encino, California, following a long battle with cancer. Asbury began his animation career in the early 1980s, when he joined Walt Disney Feature Animation. He would go on to receive credits in Disney classics like The Little Mermaid, The Rescuers Down Under, Beauty and the Beast, and Toy Story. He didn’t make his directorial debut until 2002 when he co-directed the Oscar-nominated Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron. Several years later, he would co-direct Shrek 2, which also received an Academy Award nomination.

He is survived by his wife, Jacquie Boggs; stepsons Andrew and Connor Boggs; sister Gwen Speed; and niece Leslie McKeller.