Steve Alpert

Steve Alpert (born 1950, full name: Stephen M. Alpert^[1][2]) is an American entertainment executive. He is a former member of the board of directors of Studio Ghibli, and had served as head of overseas operations for fifteen years.^[3][4][5] He is now semi-retired but continues to work for Studio Ghibli on various projects.^[6] Prior to joining Studio Ghibli, he worked for the Walt Disney Studios.^[7]

In 2013, he made his voice acting debut in The Wind Rises in the role of Castorp, whose character's design was also influenced by Alpert's likeness.

References

1. At The Head Of The Pack. Los Angeles Times. 24 Oct 1999.
2. AT THE MOVIES. The New York Times. 7 Feb 2003.
3. Japanamerica: How Japanese Pop Culture Has Invaded the U.S. Roland Kelts - 2006 p196 "Ishikawa's focus on the creative side of the industry is reminiscent of the description by Steve Alpert from Studio Ghibli of Japan's artist-focused process, and of its pros and cons. But Ishikawa is not suggesting that the artists simply do what they ..
4. Jonathan Clements - Schoolgirl Milky Crisis: Adventures in the Anime and Manga Trade -2010 p43 "“My secret source was Studio Ghibli — Miyazaki's people. I would run things past a guy named Steve Alpert. But every now and then, when the facts were against us, we'd go with the poetry. There's this one moment with a little dragon ..."
5. The New Yorker - 第 80 卷 p169 2005 "But during my visit to the studio Steve Alpert, an American who heads Ghibli's overseas division, showed me around, and in an upstairs room I saw Miyazaki hanging out with a couple of animators. He had shown the completed "Howl's Moving ...
6. The Secret World of Arrietty Production Notes, 2012. VisualHollywood.com. Accessed 11 Aug 2013.
7. Hayao Miyazaki: Studio Ghibli films spirited away to the big screen. Los Angeles Times. 25 Jan 2012. http://herocomplex.latimes.com/movies/hayao-miyazaki-studio-ghibli-films-spirited-away-to-the-big-screen/#/0