Arts & Entertainment

PA Grad Earns Second Oscar Nomination

Chris Renaud co-directed 'Despicable Me 2' and lent his voice to the movie's comedic yellow minions.

By Daryl Nerl

Chris Renaud, a graduate of Parkland High School in Lehigh County, was nominated for an Academy Award Thursday for his work as a director of the animated blockbuster Despicable Me 2.

Renaud, an animator and illustrator, was nominated along with co-director Pierre Coffin and producer Chris Meledandri in the category Best Animated Feature Film.

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Renaud also lends his voice to the minions, the comedic yellow henchmen that have emerged as breakout animated stars from the two movies.

Click here for the full list of Oscar nominees.

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This is the second time that Renaud has been nominated for an Academy Award. In 2007, he was nominated as director of No Time For Nuts in the category of Best Animated Short Film. The short starred sabre-toothed squirrel Scrat from the Ice Age movies.

Renaud’s career in art extends back to his days at Parkland High School, where, according to his Wikipedia entry, he worked for the high school yearbook as an artist. He also studied at the Baum School of Art in Allentown.

Professionally, he worked as a graphic artist and comic book artist before his work in movies. He was a story artist for Horton Hears a Hoo and Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs before he co-directed the first Despicable Me movie. He also directed Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax.

The Oscars will be handed out live on March 2 on the ABC television network.


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