Milton Glaser, Pixar Star?

When Ratatouille received an Oscar nomination for best animated picture this morning, we remembered an interesting yet unconfirmed rumor embedded very deep in our brains. We heard that when the Pixar animators needed inspiration for the film’s legendary food critic Anton Ego, they looked to none other than legendary graphic designer Milton Glaser. Laugh if you must, but contrast how Ego (voiced by Peter O’Toole) talks cooking, above, with how Glaser talks about designing, below (in the Hillman Curtis film). Wikipedia says Ego’s likeness was modeled on French actor Louis Jouvet, but note Ego’s distinctive cadence, that ever-present scarf, and those large, graceful hands. Hmmm…

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