Joe Ranft Bio, Age, Death, Wife, Movies, and Interview
Ranft and his friend Eric Frierson were passengers in Ranft’s 2004 Honda Element on August 16, 2005, driven by another friend, Elegba Earl. Earl suddenly lost control and crashed through a guardrail on Highway 1. The SUV plunged 130 feet into the Navarro River mouth in Mendocino County, California. Both Ranft and Earl were killed instantly.
Frierson survived by escaping through the sunroof, although he received moderate injuries. Joe, who was 45, died during the production of Cars, in which he co-directed and in which voice acted. The film and tie-in game are dedicated to his memory, as is Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride, where Ranft was executive producer. Joe is survived by his wife Sue and their two children, Jordan and Sophia, and his brother Jerome.
