From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Gary A. Trousdale (born June 8, 1960) is an American film director known for directing movies such as Beauty and the Beast, The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Atlantis: The Lost Empire. He frequently directs films with Kirk Wise. Trousdale planned to become an architect, but decided instead to study animation at CalArts, where he studied for three years. He was hired in 1982 to design storyboards and do other animation. He then went to work designing restaurant menus and t-shirts. Trousdale was hired by Walt Disney Feature Animation in 1985 as an effects animator on The Black Cauldron. He gained true prominence in his field with the success of his animated film directorial debut Beauty and the Beast, which was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture and won a LAFCA Award. He later directed Th...read more