Honestly, when Pixar announced a fourth movie after that perfect ending in the third one, most of us were a little skeptical. How do you top Woody saying goodbye to Andy? But then we met the Toy Story 4 cast, and everything kinda shifted. It wasn't just about bringing back the legends; it was about how the new voices—people like Tony Hale and Keanu Reeves—basically reinvented what a "toy" even is.
Most people just see a list of famous names. But if you look closer, the way these actors recorded their lines and the weird personal connections they had to their characters is what actually saved the movie from being a total cash grab.
The Core Duo and the Recording "Secret"
We all know Tom Hanks is Woody and Tim Allen is Buzz Lightyear. That's a given. But did you know they almost never record together? In the world of animation, you're usually alone in a dark booth with a script and a bottle of water. For Toy Story 4, though, they broke the rules.
Hanks and Allen actually insisted on recording their final scenes in the same room. They wanted to feed off each other's energy because, let’s be real, after 25 years, they are those characters. That chemistry is why that ending feels like a gut punch.
And then there's Annie Potts.
Bo Peep had been missing since 1999. When she came back for this one, she wasn't just a "love interest" in a porcelain skirt. Potts actually talked about how her own life—including a massive car accident when she was 21—helped her play the "survivor" version of Bo. She broke almost every bone below her waist back then, and she used that grit to voice a toy that had literally been glued back together.
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The Newcomers Who Stole the Show
If you haven't seen the behind-the-scenes footage of Keanu Reeves becoming Duke Caboom, you're missing out.
He didn't just show up and read lines. He literally jumped on a table at Pixar headquarters to show the directors how Duke would pose. He was obsessed with the character's "honesty." Even though Duke is a "stuntman" who can't actually do stunts, Keanu played him with this weird, tragic intensity. He even made sure his voice sounded different enough from Tim Allen's so they wouldn't occupy the same "brave hero" space.
- Tony Hale as Forky: Hale was convinced he was going to be fired. He spent the whole production thinking Pixar would replace him with a bigger star. He didn't believe he was actually in the movie until he saw the trailer.
- Keegan-Michael Key & Jordan Peele: These two are basically a package deal as Ducky and Bunny. Their dialogue was almost entirely improvised. They’d just riff for hours, and the animators had to figure out how to keep up with them.
- Christina Hendricks as Gabby Gabby: She’s the first female villain in the franchise. Fun fact: Christina actually owns a ventriloquist dummy in real life. When Pixar pitched her the role involving a creepy antique shop and silent dummy henchmen, she was like, "Wait, how did you know?"
The Full Voice List (No Fluff)
If you’re looking for the specific names, here’s the breakdown of who’s who in the toy box:
The Classics
Tom Hanks (Woody), Tim Allen (Buzz Lightyear), Annie Potts (Bo Peep), Joan Cusack (Jessie), Wallace Shawn (Rex), John Ratzenberger (Hamm), and Blake Clark (Slinky Dog).
The New Blood
Tony Hale (Forky), Keanu Reeves (Duke Caboom), Keegan-Michael Key (Ducky), Jordan Peele (Bunny), Christina Hendricks (Gabby Gabby), and Ally Maki (Giggle McDimples).
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The Legends in the Closet
Pixar snuck in some absolute icons for the "closet toys" Bonnie doesn't play with anymore. We’re talking Mel Brooks as Melephant Brooks, Carol Burnett as Chairol Burnett, Carl Reiner as Carl Reineroceros, and the late, great Betty White as Bitey White.
Why Don Rickles is Still Mr. Potato Head
This is the part that usually trips people up. Don Rickles passed away in 2017, long before the movie was finished. He hadn't recorded a single line for the fourth film.
But the family asked Pixar if they could find a way to keep him in. The sound team spent countless hours digging through 25 years of raw audio—outtakes from the first three movies, video games, theme park rides, and shorts. They pieced together his entire performance from "junk" audio. It’s a technical miracle, honestly. You can't even tell he wasn't in the booth.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Cast
A lot of fans think the big-name stars are just there for the marketing.
That's not really how Pixar works. They cast based on "voice texture." For example, they chose Madeleine McGraw for Bonnie because she sounded like a real kid, not a "Hollywood" kid. Or Jay Hernandez and Lori Alan as Bonnie’s parents—they needed voices that felt grounded so the toys' world felt more magical by comparison.
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The cast isn't just a list of celebrities; it’s a group of people who spent years (literally, years) coming back to the studio every six months to re-record lines as the story changed.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Creators
If you’re interested in the craft behind the Toy Story 4 cast, here’s how you can appreciate it more:
- Listen for the Improv: Watch the scenes with Ducky and Bunny again. Notice how they overlap and interrupt each other? That’s 100% Key and Peele being themselves, not a script.
- Watch "The Twilight Zone": Christina Hendricks’ character was heavily inspired by an episode called "Living Doll" (featuring Talky Tina). Watching that makes Gabby Gabby’s "villain" turn way more interesting.
- Check the Credits: Look for names like Bill Hader (Axel the Carnie) or Flea from the Red Hot Chili Peppers (the Caboom TV announcer). They are hidden everywhere.
The takeaway here is that Toy Story 4 worked because the actors treated these plastic characters like real people with real trauma. Whether it's Bo Peep's broken arm or Duke Caboom's fear of failure, the "humanity" came from the actors' own scars.
To see the evolution of these performances, your best bet is to go back and watch the original 1995 film alongside this one. The difference in vocal depth—especially in Tom Hanks' performance—is a masterclass in how an actor grows with a role over three decades.