Roy Disney, the nephew of Walt Disney who led a revival of Disney's animation studios in the 1980s and 1990s has died in Newport Beach, California, at the age of 79, the company said Wednesday, dpa reported.
Disney, who mounted two revolts against the company to preserve his family's creative legacy, died on Wednesday after a lengthy battle with stomach cancer.
A maker of nature films at the start of his career he left the Walt Disney company in 1977 after the death of his uncle and father, but mounted a revolt in 1984 after seeing the decline of its once heralded animation studio. The move saw him appointed head of the company's animation studio, where he oversaw the making of hits such as The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin and The Lion King.
He again clashed with Disney leadership in 2003 when he resigned from the board of directors and accused "rapacious" top management of "always looking for the 'quick buck' rather than long-term value." He continued to campaign for the ouster of then-chief executive Michael Eisner, who was replaced by Robert Iger in 2005.