Douglas Trumbull Dead at 79: Visual Effects Artist’s Emotional Last Days, Tragic Health Condition Revealed
Douglas Trumbull, a famed visual effects artist popularly known for his contribution in "A Space Odyssey" and many more, has passed away at the age of 79.
According to a Facebook post shared by his daughter, Amy Trumbull, her father passed away after battling a tragic health condition for two years.
Amy noted that the famed personality suffered from cancer, a brain tumor, and a stroke.
In addition, Douglas' daughter also shared their last moments with the pioneering visual effects artist, saying she and her sister were able to visit their father over the weekend before his death and "tell him that [we] love him, and we got to tell him to enjoy and embrace his journey into the Great Beyond." (via The Guardian)
Per the outlet, Douglas impressed a director after working on a short film titled "To the Moon and Beyond" as the visual effects for the project were very realistic.
He was later hired on one of Stanley Kubrick's most notable projects, "2001: A Space Odyssey," where he collaborated with Tom Howard, Con Pederson, and Wally Veneers.
Born Douglas Huntley Trumbull in Los Angeles, California, the famed visual effects artist grew up within the Hollywood production scene as his father, Don Trumbull, has worked in some of the iconic films of the 20th century, including "Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope" and "The Wizard of Oz."
On the other hand, her mother is inclined with creativity as she was an artist.
According to Variety, Douglas started as an illustrator at Graphic Films, which led the studio to produce the abovementioned short film.
At first, his task was small as he was assigned to create animated figures displayed on computer screens in the sci-fi movie, but he later had many things in his work because production grew and continued with the film.
He became a visual effects supervisor at the time, and one of his most significant works was creating the movie's iconic Star Gate.
Over the last few years of his life, he wanted to prove a point by publicly expressing his opinion on the film industry, saying it's failing to give the audiences an "attractive product."
Throughout his decades-long career, Douglas was able to receive several Academy Award nominations, including his visual effects work on "Star Trek: The Motion Picture," "Close Encounters," and "Blade Runner."
