Joan Cusack has been the voice of Jessie the cowgirl since 1999. For most of that time, she has been exactly what the role required — spirited, emotional, scene-stealing — while Woody (Tom Hanks) and Buzz (Tim Allen) carried the franchise on their shoulders. In Toy Story 5, opening in theaters June 19, that changes. With Woody no longer leading the room and Buzz serving as her second-in-command, Jessie is now the leader of Bonnie’s room, and Cusack is front and center.
“No pressure,” Cusack says when asked if she felt the weight of that. “Power. Power and excitement. She has a vision — that her kid should have fun. That’s just joy.” It’s a very Jessie answer, delivered with the kind of ease that comes from nearly three decades inside a character.
Cusack sat down with Gold Derby at Pixar Animation Studios alongside Tony Hale, who returns as Forky, to talk about the new film — and the two of them, it turns out, were meeting for the first time despite years in the same franchise.
Gold Derby: There’s so much emotion in this film — people are going to cry watching you. What is it like bringing that kind of weight to the character?
Joan Cusack: That was [co-writers and co-directors] Kenna Harris and Andrew Stanton. We just have our little pieces that we do and they orchestrate this amazing vision. I was amazed, because it could easily have been saccharine — and it wasn’t. It was so beautiful.
Tony, what’s it like coming back as Forky and being part of this ensemble?
Tony Hale: I still have a lot of pinch-me moments, honestly. It’s a family that I never thought I’d be invited to. And this is so exciting because we never see each other — Joan and I have never met. I saw Tom and Tim a little bit last time, but it’s just exciting to come together.
Toy Story has been around for over 30 years. What does it feel like to be part of that legacy?
Cusack: It’s not something you expect is going to happen. I thought they hired me because they thought it would be kind of funny if a cowgirl had a Chicago accent — and then 30 years later, to be part of a movie that I think is so beautiful and done so well and so relevant, it’s mind-blowing.
There’s a scene where Jessie teaches Blaze’s toys what make-believe is. Is that what acting feels like?
Hale: There is definitely a huge component when you’re recording where you use your imagination a lot, because you’re not on camera, you’re not with somebody, you’re not on an actual set. So you have to jump into make-believe to communicate what they want from you.
Cusack: In my experience over the years, the funniest times I’ve had acting have been with other people who are willing to play. That makes it spontaneous and unexpected and alive. It’s so fun.
The film is dedicated to the ones who were there for us when we needed them — our toys. Has being part of this made you feel anything for the inanimate objects in your own past?
Cusack: My son had a penguin that he slept with since he was maybe two. And when I see that penguin, I want to cry — because it’s so sweet and it’s so crumpled.
Hale: My daughter has one of those too. I don’t know if I had one I held onto, but I remember having every stuffed animal was in my room — all the Muppets. The whole Muppet show was with me.
What did you make of the film’s theme around technology and kids?
Hale: We can’t ignore it. It’s here. And the way they balanced it — they didn’t bash technology, but showed the importance of waking up to connection and being present and play.
Cusack: At the end, when Bonnie finds Blaze and they’re laughing together — no tech can be that. And you wouldn’t want it to. Even as an adult, the people who make you laugh and feel connected, who ground you in life — no tech can do that.
Joan, you have two Oscar nominations. Should the Academy add a voiceover performance category like the Emmys have?
Cusack: That’s kind of an overwhelming question.
Hale: I’ll answer for her. Yes.
Cusack: Oh, peanut butter.
Hale: There are incredible performances in animated films over the years. Robin Williams in Aladdin — “Friend Like Me,” that song he sang — my God. It’s just magical.
Cusack: You’re right. It’s not about having an Oscar for voiceover, but there are incredible performances in animated movies over the years. It’s true.
What was the first award you ever won?
Cusack: God, who won awards? Did you win any?
Hale: I did. It was called Young Actors Theater in Tallahassee, Fla. They had the ZOLI Awards — best supporting actor. I got it for Our Town. I was just the one holding Bessie the horse. They thought that was pretty good, I guess. I still have the award. It’s in my office.
Cusack: I didn’t get an award, but when I was in second grade I was in the paper because I said, “Martin Luther King believed, and he kept on believing and believing.” And they put that in the paper. So it’s not really an award, but it felt like an award.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity. Toy Story 5 opens in theaters on June 19.
