J. Todd Anderson obit

J. Todd Anderson, ‘The Nice Guys’ and ‘The Big Lebowski’ Storyboard Artist, Dies at 67

He was a frequent collaborator of the Coen Brothers, storyboarding ‘Fargo,’ ‘Drive-Away Dolls’ and ‘The Tragedy of Macbeth,’ among other films. 

He was not on the list.

J. Todd Anderson, who worked as a storyboard artist on dozens of films from The Nice Guys and The Tragedy of Macbeth to Hail, Caesar! and The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, has died. He was 67.

Anderson died Thursday at a hospital in Orange County, California, after a years-long battle with cancer, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.

Born John Todd Anderson in Springfield, Ohio, he started working in Hollywood in the late 1980s. The first film he storyboarded, 1987’s Raising Arizona, launched a long-running collaboration with filmmakers Joel and Ethan Coen.

Since then, he storyboarded every one of their movies, including 1990’s Miller’s Crossing (1990), Fargo (1996), The Big Lebowski (1998), The Ladykillers (2004), True Grit (2010), Hail, Caesar! (2016) and The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (2018). He also worked on Ethan’s Drive-Away Dolls (2024) and Honey Don’t! (2025) and Joel’s The Tragedy of Macbeth (2021).

Anderson worked with several other auteurs and A-list stars on such projects as George Clooney’s Leatherheads (2008); Drew Barrymore’s Whip It (2009); David Lowery’s The Old Man & the Gun (2018); The Dictator (2012), starring and co-written by Sacha Baron Cohen; and three Shane Black pics: The Nice Guys (2016) starring Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling, The Predator (2018) and Play Dirty (2025), starring Mark Wahlberg and LaKeith Stanfield.

His other storyboard credits included Twister (1989), The Addams Family (1991), Nadja (1994), Confessions of a Dangerous Mind (2002), The Big Bang (2010), Warcraft (2016) and Fool’s Paradise (2023).

Anderson also directed two films, The Naked Man (1999), which he wrote with Ethan, and My Mummy (2008), and made onscreen appearances in Fargo, Leatherheads, The Nice Guys and American Violence (2017), among other films.

Survivors include by his mother, Donna Lou, sister Kimberly and niece Haley.

Art Department

Philip Moon in Miss Lee & Mr. Jones (2026)

Miss Lee & Mr. Jones

Short

storyboard artist

2026

 

Mark Wahlberg and LaKeith Stanfield in Play Dirty (2025)

Play Dirty

5.9

storyboard artist

2025

 

Chris Evans, Aubrey Plaza, and Margaret Qualley in Honey Don't! (2025)

Honey Don't!

5.3

storyboard artist

2025

 

J.K. Simmons in You Can't Run Forever (2024)

You Can't Run Forever

4.5

visual consultant

2024

 

Pedro Pascal, Bill Camp, Colman Domingo, C.J. Wilson, Beanie Feldstein, Margaret Qualley, and Geraldine Viswanathan in Drive-Away Dolls (2024)

Drive-Away Dolls

5.4

storyboard artist

2024

 

Kate Beckinsale, Ray Liotta, John Malkovich, Jason Bateman, Adrien Brody, Edie Falco, Charlie Day, Ken Jeong, Jason Sudeikis, and Common in Fool's Paradise (2023)

Fool's Paradise

4.7

storyboard artist

2023

 

Mike Myers in The Pentaverate (2022)

The Pentaverate

6.1

TV Mini Series

storyboard artist

2022

6 episodes

 

Nell Tiger Free in Servant (2019)

Servant

7.4

TV Series

storyboard artist

2022

1 episode

 

The Tragedy of Macbeth (2021)

The Tragedy of Macbeth

7.1

storyboard artist

2021

 

Dakota Johnson, Shia LaBeouf, and Zack Gottsagen in The Peanut Butter Falcon (2019)

The Peanut Butter Falcon

7.6

storyboard artist

2019

 

The Predator (2018)

The Predator

5.3

storyboard artist

2018

 

The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (2018)

The Ballad of Buster Scruggs

7.2

storyboard artist

2018

 

Robert Redford in The Old Man & the Gun (2018)

The Old Man & the Gun

6.7

storyboard artist

2018

 

Jack De Sena and Rome Shadanloo in I Got This (2018)

I Got This

6.1

Short

storyboard artist

2018

 

Julianne Moore, Matt Damon, and Oscar Isaac in Suburbicon (2017)

Suburbicon

5.8

storyboard artist

2017

 

4 Eyes (2017)

4 Eyes

7.1

Short

lead man (as Todd Anderson)

2017

 

Bette Midler, Abigail Breslin, Laverne Cox, AnnaSophia Robb, and Alex Lawther in Freak Show (2017)

Freak Show

6.5

storyboard artist

2017

 

Travis Fimmel and Toby Kebbell in Warcraft (2016)

Warcraft

6.7

storyboard artist

2016

 

Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling in The Nice Guys (2016)

The Nice Guys

7.4

storyboard artist

2016

 

George Clooney, Josh Brolin, Scarlett Johansson, Channing Tatum, and Jonah Hill in Hail, Caesar! (2016)

Hail, Caesar!

6.3

storyboarded by

2016

 

John Cusack, Robert De Niro, and Rebecca Da Costa in The Bag Man (2014)

The Bag Man

5.2

storyboard artist

2014

 

Robert Duvall in A Night in Old Mexico (2013)

A Night in Old Mexico

5.7

storyboard artist

2013

 

Oscar Isaac in Inside Llewyn Davis (2013)

Inside Llewyn Davis

7.4

nibdipper

2013

 

Sacha Baron Cohen in The Dictator (2012)

The Dictator

6.5

storyboard artist

2012

 

Mark Wahlberg, Kate Beckinsale, Giovanni Ribisi, and Ben Foster in Contraband (2012)

Contraband

6.4

storyboard artist

2012

 

Paul (2011)

Paul

6.9

storyboard artist

2011

 

Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon, Josh Brolin, and Hailee Steinfeld in True Grit (2010)

True Grit

7.6

drawboy

2010

 

Antonio Banderas, Sam Elliott, William Fichtner, Snoop Dogg, Delroy Lindo, Thomas Kretschmann, and Autumn Reeser in The Big Bang (2010)

The Big Bang

5.4

storyboard artist

2010

 

Norman (2010)

Norman

6.4

storyboard artist

2010

 

Elliot Page in Whip It (2009)

Whip It

6.9

executive artist

2009

 

Michael Stuhlbarg in A Serious Man (2009)

A Serious Man

7.0

pen grappler

2009

 

Jeffrey Mowery in Burn After Reading (2008)

Burn After Reading

7.0

graphite operator

2008

 

George Clooney, Tim Griffin, John Krasinski, and Matt Bushell in Leatherheads (2008)

Leatherheads

6.0

conceptual consultant

2008

 

Nosebleed (2008)

Nosebleed

6.0

Short

storyboard artist

2008

 

A West Texas Children's Story (2007)

A West Texas Children's Story

7.2

storyboard artist

2007

 

Javier Bardem and Josh Brolin in No Country for Old Men (2007)

No Country for Old Men

8.2

visual consultant

2007

 

Paris, Je T'aime (2006)

Paris, Je T'aime

7.2

storyboard artist (as Todd Anderson)

2006

 

Nicole Kidman in The Stepford Wives (2004)

The Stepford Wives

5.4

storyboard artist

2004

 

Tom Hanks, Tzi Ma, Marlon Wayans, Irma P. Hall, Ryan Hurst, and J.K. Simmons in The Ladykillers (2004)

The Ladykillers

6.2

ink and leads

2004

 

George Clooney and Catherine Zeta-Jones in Intolerable Cruelty (2003)

Intolerable Cruelty

6.3

unit limner

2003

 

Shooting 'Miller's Crossing': A Conversation with Barry Sonnenfeld

7.0

Video

storyboard artist

2003

 

Sam Rockwell in Confessions of a Dangerous Mind (2002)

Confessions of a Dangerous Mind

7.0

storyboard artist

2002

 

The Mothman Prophecies (2002)

The Mothman Prophecies

6.4

storyboard artist

2002

 

Frances McDormand, Billy Bob Thornton, and James Gandolfini in The Man Who Wasn't There (2001)

The Man Who Wasn't There

7.5

hand-to-eye man

2001

 

George Clooney, John Turturro, and Tim Blake Nelson in O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000)

O Brother, Where Art Thou?

7.7

storyboard artist

2000

 

Weeping Shriner (1999)

Weeping Shriner

6.3

Short

storyboard artist

1999

 

American Cuisine (1998)

American Cuisine

6.1

storyboard artist

1998

 

Reese Witherspoon and Paul Rudd in Overnight Delivery (1998)

Overnight Delivery

6.1

Video

storyboard artist

1998

 

Julianne Moore and Jeff Bridges in The Big Lebowski (1998)

The Big Lebowski

8.1

storyboard artist

1998

 

Michael Jackson's Ghosts (1996)

Michael Jackson's Ghosts

7.5

Short

storyboard artist

1996

 

Claire Danes, Jude Law, and Jeanne Moreau in I Love You, I Love You Not (1996)

I Love You, I Love You Not

5.3

storyboard artist

1996

 

Fargo (1996)

Fargo

8.1

storyboard artist

1996

 

Julia Roberts, Robert Duvall, Dennis Quaid, Gena Rowlands, Kyra Sedgwick, and Haley Aull in Something to Talk About (1995)

Something to Talk About

5.8

storyboard artist (uncredited)

1995

 

Rosanna Arquette, Christopher Walken, Griffin Dunne, and John Turturro in Search and Destroy (1995)

Search and Destroy

5.3

storyboard artist (as J.T. Anderson)

1995

 

Jodie Foster and Liam Neeson in Nell (1994)

Nell

6.5

storyboard artist (uncredited)

1994

 

Elina Löwensohn in Nadja (1994)

Nadja

6.0

storyboard artist

1994

 

Paul Newman, Tim Robbins, and Jennifer Jason Leigh in The Hudsucker Proxy (1994)

The Hudsucker Proxy

7.2

storyboard artist

1994

 

Christina Ricci, Raul Julia, Christopher Lloyd, Ian Abercrombie, Anjelica Huston, Carol Kane, Matthew Beebe, Chris Ellis, Christopher Hart, Ryan Holihan, Kaitlyn Hooper, Kristen Hooper, Dana Ivey, and Jimmy Workman in Addams Family Values (1993)

Addams Family Values

6.9

storyboard artist (uncredited)

1993

 

Christina Ricci, Raul Julia, Christopher Lloyd, Anjelica Huston, Christopher Hart, Judith Malina, Carel Struycken, and Jimmy Workman in The Addams Family (1991)

The Addams Family

7.0

storyboard artist

1991

 

Jodie Foster, Dianne Wiest, and Adam Hann-Byrd in Little Man Tate (1991)

Little Man Tate

6.6

storyboard artist (uncredited)

1991

 

John Turturro in Barton Fink (1991)

Barton Fink

7.6

storyboard artist

1991

 

Danny Glover, Forest Whitaker, Robin Givens, and Gregory Hines in A Rage in Harlem (1991)

A Rage in Harlem

5.9

storyboard artist (uncredited)

1991

 

Gabriel Byrne and John Turturro in Miller's Crossing (1990)

Miller's Crossing

7.7

storyboard artist

1990

 

Crispin Glover, Suzy Amis, Dylan McDermott, and Lindsay Christman in Twister (1989)

Twister

5.2

storyboard artist

1989

 

Nicolas Cage and Holly Hunter in Raising Arizona (1987)

Raising Arizona

7.3

storyboard artist

1987

 

Actor

Robert Redford in The Old Man & the Gun (2018)

The Old Man & the Gun

6.7

Officer Walsh

2018

 

Kaiwi Lyman, Emma Rigby, and Rob Gronkowski in American Violence (2017)

American Violence

4.5

Michael

2017

 

Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling in The Nice Guys (2016)

The Nice Guys

7.4

Smoker at Protest

2016

 

John Cusack, Robert De Niro, and Rebecca Da Costa in The Bag Man (2014)

The Bag Man

5.2

Harvey

2014

 

Paul (2011)

Paul

6.9

Comic Store Clerk

2011

 

Original Release Poster

My Mummy

4.2

Video

Earl Schmelzer

2008

 

George Clooney, Tim Griffin, John Krasinski, and Matt Bushell in Leatherheads (2008)

Leatherheads

6.0

Man in Pool

2008

 

Sam Rockwell in Confessions of a Dangerous Mind (2002)

Confessions of a Dangerous Mind

7.0

Stud Bachelor (as John Todd Anderson)

2002

 

Fargo (1996)

Fargo

8.1

Victim in the Field

1996

 

Director

Original Release Poster

My Mummy

4.2

Video

Director

2008

 

Michael Rapaport in The Naked Man (1999)

The Naked Man

5.2

Director

1999

 

Writer

Original Release Poster

My Mummy

4.2

Video

screenplay

2008

 

Michael Rapaport in The Naked Man (1999)

The Naked Man

5.2

written by

1999

 

Producer

Original Release Poster

My Mummy

4.2

Video

producer

2008

 

Production Management

Penelope Ann Miller in The Gun in Betty Lou's Handbag (1992)

The Gun in Betty Lou's Handbag

5.1

production supervisor: second unit

1992

 

Second Unit or Assistant Director

George Clooney and Catherine Zeta-Jones in Intolerable Cruelty (2003)

Intolerable Cruelty

6.3

second unit director

2003

 

Visual Effects

Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith in Men in Black (1997)

Men in Black

7.3

storyboard artist: ILM (as Jay Todd Anderson)

1997

 

Thanks

Bembé (2025)

Bembé

Short

special thanks

2025

 

Karan Brar, Reyn Beeler, and Matthew Newman in Labeled (2019)

Labeled

TV Movie

very special thanks

2019

 

Dusk (2015)

Dusk

5.2

special thanks

2015

 

Self

Carson Daly in Last Call with Carson Daly (2002)

Last Call with Carson Daly

3.1

TV Series

Self

2011

1 episode

 

Call 911 (2008)

Call 911

8.6

TV Series

Self

2008

1 episode