PROFILE: Steven Clay Hunter
Continuing out celebration of LGBTQ Pride Month, we take a look at Pixar animator and Out director Steven Clay Hunter.
Hunter started work first at Walt Disney Animation Studios as an animator on the Hydra in Hercules. He then moved over to Pixar. His first film there was A Bug's Life in 1998. He has since provided animation for Toy Story 2, Finding Nemo, Lifted, Toy Story of Terror, The Good Dinosaur and Toy Story 4. He was lead or supervising animator on The Incredibles, Jack-Jack Attack, WALL-E, Brave, Purl and Smash and Grab. He was a character designer on Monsters, Inc., The Incredibles and The Incredibles 2. And, he also played Coldfront in The Good Dinosaur.
This year, he released the groundbreaking short Out which was a Freaky Friday type comedy in which a gay man named Greg and his dog trade places when Greg's parents make a surprise visit to help him move. This was the first time Disney or Pixar has ever had a gay character in the lead let alone the subject for the entire film.
"I felt like this was something I had to do," said Hunter. "I didn't come out until I was 27 and I'm 51 now, and I feel like I'm still dealing with it. You can't hide who you are for half of your life and then not carry that baggage around. You've got to process it somehow. I got lucky enough to process it in the making of this movie."
The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) said of Out, “The release of Out on Disney+ represents a huge step forward for The Walt Disney Company in establishing itself as a welcoming home for stories about all loving couples and families, including LGBTQ ones. GLAAD is thrilled to see Out’s debut today on Disney+ and we’re excited about its power to further LGBTQ acceptance for Disney fans around the world.”