Raymond Frederick Harryhausen (June 29, 1920 – May 7, 2013) was an American-British animator and special effects creator who is regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of both fields.

Though not credited as a writer or director on any of the feature films he worked on, the role he played in shaping those he made during his peak years has led to him being regarded as “cinema’s sole visual effects auteur,” and the creatures and sequences he animated are considered some of the most iconic in the history of cinema.