Roger Allers, the Oscar- and Tony-nominated animated film director best known for helming 1994’s The Lion King, died Saturday. He was 76.

Axar.az informs Allers died suddenly at his home in Santa Monica following a short illness, a Disney Animation spokesperson told The Hollywood Repоrter.

Before The Lion King, Allers worked on several other Disney animated features, including Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, Oliver and Company and Rescuers Down Under. He also helped develop 1982’s Tron, the first major feature film to extensively use CGI.

Allers also adapted the screenplay for the Lion King Broadway musical with Irene Mecchi, earning him a Tony nomination in 1998 for best book of a musical.

In 2006, he co-directed the animated movie Open Season for Sony Studios and wrote and directed the animated adaptation of Kahlil Gibran’s The Prophet in 2015.

Allers also received an Academy Award nomination for best animated short film for 2006’s The Little Matchgirl.

His other credits include Watership Down, The Bugs Bunny/Road-Runner Movie, Return to Never Land, Ted, Back to the Jurassic and Ted 2.

Allers is survived by his children, Leah and Aidan, and his partner, Genaro.