The toys are back in town again with Pixar's latest sequel, Toy Story 5, but even 31 years into the franchise, it still has the power to surprise – and that includes its voice cast as well. Toy Story films have always expertly mined nostalgic and emotional territory by their very nature, being so intertwined with childhood and growing up. That impact is felt across the board, with new cast member Greta Lee – who plays tablet Lilypad – answering with an immediate and emphatic 'Yes!' when asked if the new movie made her cry, despite being involved with its making.
There's a particular scene that her and co-star Joan Cusack, back once more as newly minted sheriff Jessie, found especially devastating, in Lee's words. Bonnie, the toys' owner since the end of Toy Story 3 when Andy headed to college, is given Lilypad by her parents as she struggles to make friends – a mission taken very seriously by the playroom. She takes her first steps online thanks to Lilypad's connectivity through 'the Pond' to her classmates' devices, but things don't go all that well.
'When those girls make fun of Bonnie, there's some cruelty in it, which I can't believe they captured so well,' Cusack tells Metro. 'It took my breath away. I can't believe they captured that.'
A New Focus for the Franchise
The biggest change to the Toy Story franchise this time is that Woody (Tom Hanks) and Buzz (Tim Allen) take a backseat and it's Jessie who serves as our main character. It's her taking on the battle with technology, represented by Lee's Lilypad. That change was a surprise to Cusack, a two-time Oscar nominee also known for Working Girl and School of Rock, who's been voicing Jessie since 1999's Toy Story 2. In fact, this fifth outing ties back to her origin story with first owner Emily and the abandonment issues so beautifully explored in the song When She Loved Me, sung by Sarah McLachlan, which also makes a return.
'There really weren't any discussions. It was just, I got a phone call saying, “It's gonna be Jessie's story”. I was like “Whaaat?!” and then so excited,' she recalls. 'But then you just do little parts, you don't know what everyone else is doing until you see the film, which is kind of wild.' She clarifies: 'I knew some of the story, and I knew that it was about tech. I was like, “Wow, how are they doing this?” That's a big thing to take on.'
Greta Lee's Surprising Role
It was the same for Lee as well, who has been enjoying a purple patch since her breakthrough as one of the leads in Celine Song's poignant drama Past Lives in 2023. Since then, she's starred on The Morning Show with Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon, been part of Kathryn Bigelow's remarkable ensemble cast for A House of Dynamite and taken the lead role in Tron: Ares for Disney as well.
'Initially I just kind of assumed [Lilypad] would be thrown in with the rest of the toys, and I didn't really know the scope of what she would be doing, or even the broader themes of the movie.' Her central role was 'more of a slow reveal for me', she says, but calls it 'pretty dreamy'. 'I mean, this franchise is incredible, and I love that each movie has a way of being this mirror of what is happening in our world, and so now to be here with the fifth one, and for it to realistically reflect what's happening with tech – it's so cool, it's so neat.'
Joan Cusack's Journey with Jessie
With Cusack, who had stepped back from films since Toy Story 4 in 2019 to prioritise her family, Jessie has been a part of her for nearly three decades – and a role she's returned to numerous times. But it's not something she takes lightly, or for granted. 'I think I learned it's kind of a real craft, getting your voice like that. At first I was just like [yells] “Yee-ha!”, and then slowly it was like whoa, you really have to concentrate, and it takes a lot to get your feeling in there. But that was kind of cool to play with and master.'
Of her earlier recordings as Jessie she admits she didn't 'know that I thought about that as much before, you just kind of go with your intuition, and they're like “one more time” until you get it'. Her input into the character has increased over the years too, with Cusack revealing: 'I always have all these ideas and I write them on the side of the paper, and I just throw them out there, and say, if you don't like it, that's totally fine.' But many of them were appreciated, with Toy Story co-director and co-writer Andrew Stanton – who has written on every single Toy Story movie – acknowledging that many of the actress's 'wonderful and chaotic' suggestions made it onto the final film.
Emotional Depth and Existential Questions
With a lot of Toy Story 5's power coming from its emotion, as with the best of Pixar's movies, both Jessie and Lilypad – not to get too deep – grapple with big questions around their purpose as toys and helping their child successfully. 'That's our tagline, actually, Toy Story 5: Existential crisis!' laughs Lee, when I bring it up. 'She goes through it too, your character!' adds Cusack – although it's Jessie that may have you tearing up, just minutes into the film.
In terms of parallels, both personally and professionally, the stars agree this resonated. 'Yeah, just in life. I think you'd be living a pretty superficial life if you didn't ever think about those kinds of things at some point,' Cusack shares.
This latest film follows seven years after Toy Story 4 – a sequel many weren't expecting given the end of Toy Story 3, but that went on to become the highest-grossing entry in the franchise and also win an Oscar for best animated picture.
Looking Ahead to Toy Story 6?
Given that, and Stanton telling Metro that 'there should just be the natural growth of Bonnie to another child' if the films continue, would they both be up for Toy Story 6? 'Of course. With these people and that calibre? Yeah,' responds Cusack, while Lee laughs: 'We're in, sign us up!' Toy Story 5 is in cinemas from today.
