Beloved Expert Who Shaped ‘Lie to Me’ and ‘Inside Out’ Dies at 91

The man who inspired a hit television show and consulted on a huge kids' movie has died. Dr. Paul Ekman, whose work was used when creating the Fox series Lie to Me and who worked behind the scenes on Inside Out, was 91.

A statement on Ekman's website noted that he was "a pioneering psychologist whose groundbreaking research transformed our understanding of human emotion, facial expression, deception, and compassion."

Ekman died "peacefully at his home at the age of 91, surrounded by loved ones," the statement shared.

Throughout his six decades of work, Ekman released two bestselling books, Telling Lies and Emotions Revealed . He inspired the show Lie to Me , which aired from 2009 to 2011 and starred Tim Roth, Kelli Williams, and Brendan Hines.

In addition, the statement regarding Ekman's death noted, he was a scientific advisor to the hit Pixar film Inside Out . He helped "to bring the science of emotion to audiences of all ages."

Dr. Paul Ekman's Work Is Well Respected by Many

Fans of his work took to Reddit and X, formerly Twitter, to share their sadness over the news.

"Ah what a shame. His life contributed to a show that was really just a vehicle for Tim Roth and we were all better for it," one comment read .

"Sincerest condolences for the loss of this amazing man. Been following his work since catching the first episode of the series LIE TO ME on tv back in 2009...Thank you Paul for your insights. God bless your spirit and your family in this time," one person tweeted .

Another person tweeted , "Heartfelt condolences. I had the honor of speaking to him once by video call. A courtly and highly accomplished man. Very knowledgeable and quick on the uptake."

Someone else tweeted , "Sad to hear. His work formed the foundation of my PhD research and his influence on the field is undoubted."

'Lie to Me' Star Found Ekman Charming and Sweet

In Lie to Me, Roth played the character of Dr. Cal Lightman, an expert in deception. The character was based on Ekman's real-life work.

In a 2010 interview for the site Miss Geeky , Roth said that Ekman was "really the sweetest fellow. He's a very cool guy." Roth also found him to be "a very charming man."

The Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction actor admitted he was "quite nervous being around him because I felt that he was reading me all the time, which, in fact, he is."

In 2015, Ekman and Dacher Keltner shared an opinion piece via the New York Times about Ekman's work on Inside Out . While he was mostly pleased with how the film turned out, he admitted he had "some quibbles with the portrayal of sadness" in the movie.

"Sadness is seen as a drag, a sluggish character that Joy literally has to drag around through Riley's mind...In the film, Sadness is frumpy and off-putting. More often in real life, one person's sadness pulls other people in to comfort and help," he explained.

After the release of Inside Out 2, Ekman noted he hoped a third movie in the series would include the emotion of compassion. As for Inside Out 2 , he wrote, "All in all, it was a joy to watch and feel along" with the film.

This story was originally reported by Parade on Nov 20, 2025, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.