Joan Cusack has played memorable roles across film and television, but Jessie from Toy Story is the one she puts first.
The actress, 63, said voicing the Pixar cowgirl is “the most important thing” she has done in her life, according to People.
Cusack has voiced Jessie since Toy Story 2 introduced the character in 1999. She returned for Toy Story 3, Toy Story 4 and the newly released Toy Story 5.
Cusack Said Jessie Means More Than a Typical Role
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Cusack told ABC that making stories for children carries a different value because children watch closely and take those stories with them. “That’s what kids watch,” she said, according to People. “So to do something like that where you’re contributing to their world was fun to think about.”
Jessie has reached viewers across several generations of Pixar fans. Cusack’s other credits include Working Girl, In & Out, School of Rock and Shameless, but Toy Story is the role she singled out as the most meaningful.
Jessie Has a Bigger Role in Toy Story 5
Cusack said Jessie becomes “a real leader” in the new movie, according to People. She described the character as brave and fearless, with emotional depth that she did not expect.
ABC News reported that Toy Story 5 brings back Tom Hanks as Woody, Tim Allen as Buzz Lightyear and Cusack as Jessie. Greta Lee joins the cast as Lilypad, a frog-shaped tablet whose arrival creates new trouble for Bonnie’s toys.
She Returned After Stepping Back From Hollywood
Cusack had largely stepped away from Hollywood after Toy Story 4. People reported that she chose to spend more time with her family in Chicago, where she lives with her husband, Richard Burke, and their sons, Dylan John and Miles.
“It’s also great to live your life and raise your kids and be in Chicago and be a normal person,” Cusack said in a June 9 Variety interview quoted by People. “It’s kind of priceless.”
The New Film Marks Another Pixar Return
Toy Story 5 was released Friday, June 19. ABC News reported that the film is directed by Andrew Stanton, whose Pixar credits include Finding Nemo, WALL-E and Finding Dory.
The cast also includes Tony Hale as Forky, Conan O’Brien, Scarlett Spears, Craig Robinson, Bonnie Hunt, Lori Alan, Jay Hernandez and John Hopkins, according to ABC News.