Pixar’s John Lasseter admits ‘missteps,’ takes leave

Director John Lasseter arrives at the premiere of Walt Disney Animation Studios' 'Zootopia' at the El Capitan Theatre on February 17, 2016 in Hollywood. Director John Lasseter arrives at the premiere of Walt Disney Animation Studios' 'Zootopia' at the El Capitan Theatre on February 17, 2016 in Hollywood. Photo: Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic Photo: Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic Image 1 of / 59 Caption Close Pixar’s John Lasseter admits ‘missteps,’ takes leave 1 / 59 Back to Gallery

Pixar chief creative officer and original animator John Lasseter has taken a six-month leave of absence, acknowledging “missteps” and “difficult conversations” related to his interactions with the Emeryville company’s employees.

Tuesday’s announcement came the day before the official release of Pixar’s latest film, “Coco” — Lasseter is an executive producer on the film — and leaves the studio without its most visible figure since Pixar was founded in the Bay Area in 1986.

Lasseter sent a memo to Pixar employees, originally published by the Hollywood Reporter on Tuesday morning and obtained by The Chronicle, stating, “It’s been brought to my attention that I have made some of you feel disrespected or uncomfortable. That was never my intent. Collectively you mean the world to me, and I deeply apologize if I let you down. I especially want to apologize to anyone who has ever been on the receiving end of an unwanted hug or any other gesture they felt crossed the line in any way, shape or form.”

Along with his Hawaiian shirts and jovial manner, the Pixar head is known for giving long hugs to employees and acquaintances. The note does not mention a specific incident.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, several women have spoken about unwanted actions by Lasseter in the past, with the publication’s highest profile accusation that “Toy Story 4” co-writer Rashida Jones left Pixar because of an “unwanted advance” from Lasseter. But Jones denied that in a statement to the New York Times, saying she and her writing partner, Will McCormack, “parted ways because of creative and, more importantly, philosophical differences.”

The news on Lasseter comes after a flurry of cases surfacing out of the entertainment industry that shows a pattern of assault, sexual harassment and unwanted behavior among Hollywood’s elite. Since sexual assault allegations surfaced against film producer Harvey Weinstein, a series of high-profile male figures has lost jobs or apologized for past actions, including Kevin Spacey, Louis C.K. and U.S. Sen. Al Franken and most recently Charlie Rose.

Lasseter’s leave was announced on the same day CBS fired Rose, the “CBS This Morning” co-host, and PBS announced it would stop distributing Rose’s interview show, after sexual harassment allegations came to light.

Disney, which purchased Pixar in 2006, released a statement saying, “We are committed to maintaining an environment in which all employees are respected and empowered to do their best work. We appreciate John’s candor and sincere apology and fully support his sabbatical.”

Lasseter was once a Disneyland Jungle Cruise tour guide and worked as a Walt Disney Animation Studios animator, losing his job in the early 1980s when that studio was at a creative low point.

He was subsequently hired as the first animator by Pixar, which began in the Lucasfilm computer division, before Steve Jobs bought the company and turned it into an animation giant. He directed Pixar’s first feature, “Toy Story,” released in 1995, and is executive producer of five of the 10 highest-grossing animated films of all time, including Disney’s “Frozen” and “Zootopia.”

In 2006, Lasseter became chief creative officer of Pixar, Walt Disney Animation Studios and DisneyToon Studios. He has not directed a film since “Cars 2” in 2011, but he has been an executive producer on almost every major Pixar and Disney animated film release in the past decade and a half.

Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, a management professor and senior associate dean for leadership studies at Yale University, said companies in Pixar’s position must be prepared to toe a delicate line. Pixar is in a particularly sensitive spot, he said, because of how integral Lasseter is to the identity and creative success of the company.

“When it’s someone that isn’t just a symbol of a culture, but is also the leader of the culture, that’s a problem,” Sonnenfeld said. “There isn’t one inch of footage that didn’t bear his stamp as an animation genius.”

Sonnenfeld added that “the company needs to be prepared to show that they stand for something greater. … You would hope that the ‘creative genius’ extends further than just one person.”

Pixar did not announce a temporary replacement for Lasseter and had released no additional statement as of Tuesday evening.

Long before the Pixar memo, Lasseter often spoke about the company’s legacy and longevity, expressing hopes that the animation studio someday would continue to make movies without him.

“In cinema history there are times when a collection of artists come together and make some films. It’s just a magical time, and great stuff is done. And rarely, if ever, that golden age lasts beyond that original group,” Lasseter told The Chronicle in 2010. “Either they split up, like a band ... or the founders die and they just don’t carry on. We don’t want that to happen at Pixar.”

Peter Hartlaub is The San Francisco Chronicle’s pop culture critic. Trisha Thadani is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: phartlaub@sfchronicle.com, tthadani@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @PeterHartlaub, @TrishaThadani