Tom Hanks confirms he would “absolutely” reprise iconic role
Even decades after his first time putting on the hat, Tom Hanks has stated in a recent podcast that he would happily return to the role of Woody the Cowboy in the Toy Story franchise.
Hanks first became famous for voicing the titular Western toy in 1995, playing opposite Tim Allen as the space cadet Buzz Lightyear. In one of Pixar’s first major motion pictures, Woody is one of the favourite toys of his owner, Andy, before he gets thrown for a loop when Lightyear begins to take over all of Andy’s playtime.
When asked about reprising the role, Hanks told The Rest Is History podcast, “Absolutely. Tim Allen and I still get together once a month because we knew we were a part of something quite profound that started over 25 years ago”.
After the franchise had a lengthy hiatus, a third instalment came out in 2010, where the gang of lovable characters were forced to move when Andy moved out and went to college. Although there was a fourth movie in 2019, Hanks left things open for a possible fifth time around.
When discussing the possibility of a new movie, Hanks said that the scenario for him to return would have to be a major production for everyone involved, explaining, “I will say the gatekeepers of all things Woody and Buzz do not take their tasks lightly…If it does happen, it’s going to have to go through a hothouse of all sorts of rigorous tests”.
Despite the legacy of the brand and the countless films that Hanks has been in since first putting on the hat, he admitted that the role was one of the hardest things that he has ever taken. While he was not forced to completely transform his physique like in Castaway, Hanks said that it was hard work trying to get his voice into shape and articulate everything when being confined to a vocal booth for hours at a time.
Whether the film is made or not, Toy Story has been a major success for the Pixar brand, leading to even more Disney properties like their work on A Bug’s Life and The Incredibles. While there has been no word on the franchise’s future, Hanks has not announced any new productions outside of working on the Robert Zemeckis film Here, which is currently in post-production.
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