Roy E. Disney, the nephew of Walt Disney whose powerful behind-the-scenes influence on The Walt Disney Co. led to the departure of former chief Michael Eisner, has died. He was 79. The company announced that Disney died Wednesday in Newport Beach, California, after a yearlong bout with stomach cancer. Company president and chief executive Bob Iger said Disney was much more than a valued 56-year company veteran. “Roy's commitment to the art of animation was unparalleled and will always remain his personal legacy and one of his greatest contributions to Disney's past, present and future,” Iger said in a statement. Although he generally stayed out of the spotlight, Roy Disney didn't hesitate to lead a successful campaign in 1984 to oust Walt Disney's son-in-law after concluding he was leading the company in the wrong direction. Nearly 20 years later, he launched another successful shareholders revolt, this time against Eisner, the man he'd helped bring in after the previous ouster. Don Hahn, an executive producer at the Disney movie studio, credited Roy Disney with ushering in a new era after taking over the animation department in 1984. Together, they helped make such blockbusters as “Beauty and the Beast” and “The Lion King.” “He took it under his wing, was a cheerleader, a coach, therapist,” Hahn said. DreamWorks Animation chief and former Disney studios chairman Jeffrey Katzenberg said Disney's death would be felt by “everyone who works in the entertainment industry.” “His passion for the art form of animation was infectious and inspiring,” Katzenberg said in a statement Wednesday. Starting in the 1950s, the younger Roy Disney worked for years in the family business as an editor, screenwriter and producer. Two short films he worked on were nominated for Academy Awards: the 1959 “Mysteries of the Deep,” which he wrote, was nominated as best live action short, and the 2003 film “Destino,” which he co-produced, was nominated as best animated short.
