There was quite an announcement this morning, as the Associated Press reported that Pixar (and Disney) Chief Creative Officer John Lasseter will have a small role in the upcoming Cars 2. The Pixar creative team celebrated the studio’s 25th anniversary in style and surprised him with the part.
His character will go by the name of John Lassetire. Considering how many names in the Cars universe have been a play on automobile-related words, the character name comes as no surprise. What is a bit surprising is that his character is not sporting a Hawaiian shirt. However, that may not have fit with the rest of the film so it was likely a creative decision. Remember, Pixar does not like to sacrifice the story or characters to gimmicks.
The only details on the character that are known are that Lassetire is “a good ol’ American pick-up truck” who “serves as the pit crew chief for a high-profile race car.” John Lasseter seemed to be very excited about the role as he had the following to say to AP:
“It was news to me. I did not know about that, so I was a little surprised. I ended up voicing this character. It was just one line, but now I have a ‘Cars’ character. I’m very excited about that. He’s a good ol’ American pick-up truck, which I think is very appropriate for John Lassetire.
This will be Lasseter’s third credited Pixar cameo, as he previously showed up in A Bug’s Life (Harry the Mosquito) and Toy Story 2 (Blue Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robot). They may be very small roles but his cameos are a great way to continue to show the world what he means to the animation powerhouse.
Article Source: Associated Press / Image Source: The Pixar Blog
