Biography
Who is Travis Knight?
Early life and education
Travis Knight Andrew Knight was born in Hillsboro, Oregon, on September 13, 1973. He grew up as the son of Phil Knight, who co-founded Nike, and the grandson of publisher William W. Knight.
He attended Jesuit High School near Beaverton, Oregon, before continuing his education at Portland State University, where he graduated.
Music career
Travis began his professional career as a rapper under the stage name Chilly Tee. Using a recording studio built in his father's mansion, he self-produced a five-song demo album that caught the attention of MCA president Bernie Singleton.
Singleton passed the demo to producer Hank Shocklee, who agreed to help produce a debut album with The Bomb Squad. Travis moved into his parents Manhattan penthouse for six months to record the project. In 1993, he released the album Get Off Mine, though the record did not sell well and Travis disliked performing live.
Animation and Laika
After graduating from college, Travis started working as an intern at Will Vinton Studios after his father became an investor in the company. He worked on television series like The PJs for Fox Studios and Gary & Mike on UPN, alongside commercials and promotional spots.
By 2003, his father became a controlling shareholder, and Travis joined the board of directors. Following a reorganization, the company was rebranded as Laika. Travis became the vice president of animation in 2005 and later assumed the role of president and chief executive officer.
Directorial career
Travis made his directorial debut with the 2016 stop-motion fantasy film Kubo and the Two Strings, which earned him another Academy Award nomination for Best Animated Feature alongside producer Arianne Sutner.
He directed his first live-action film, Bumblebee, which was released in December 2018 as part of the Transformers franchise. His later directorial projects include the live-action movie Masters of the Universe and the stop-motion feature Wildwood.
Personal life
Travis lives in Oregon alongside his wife, Maryse Knight, and their family. In addition to his leadership role at Laika, he joined the board of directors at Nike, Inc. In 2015.
Birthday and age
Travis Knight was born on September 13, 1973, which makes Travis 53 years old today. That birthday falls under the Virgo sign. Travis shares the date with 54 other famous people.
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