Toy Story at 30: John Morris on voicing Andy from aged 7 – and whether he’ll appear in the fifth movie

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This year marks the 30th anniversary of the movie that proved what many of us suspected as kids – that our toys *are* alive! Toy Story wasn’t just Pixar’s first full-length movie; it was also a groundbreaking achievement as the world’s first feature-length computer-animated film. John Morris was involved from the very start, at just seven years old. He initially auditioned and then became the voice of Andy Davis, the boy who loves playing with his toys, including Sheriff Woody (voiced by Tom Hanks), the exciting new addition Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen), and many more. Little does Andy know, his toys come to life and have all sorts of adventures when he’s not around.

After finishing up at the recording studio, I’d often feel disoriented, wondering if things had changed while I was gone. I’d scan my surroundings, thinking, ‘Is everything – and everyone – still as I left it? What did I miss?’

I remember when I found out Morris, who’s now 40 and a voice actor, actually *was* the voice of Andy in Toy Story 1 through 4! It really hit me when he talked about recording the scene where Andy goes off to college and donates his toys to Bonnie. He was on Zoom, wearing a Pixar cap and a shirt covered in Toy Story characters, and he said, “I was definitely teary recording it.” It was so emotional hearing him talk about it!

Andy was bidding farewell to his toys, and it felt like a goodbye for me as well, since there was a chance he wouldn’t appear in the show again – though I really hope he comes back sometime.”

Bob Pauley, a character designer for the original film, an art and technical consultant for the sequel, and production designer for all subsequent films – including the upcoming Toy Story 5 – explains, “Some of us working on the films identified more with Sid than with Andy.”

I used to completely dismantle toys, give them new paint jobs, and even explode plastic soldiers. He believes Sid is actually the more imaginative one, since Sid was the one who built “mutant toys” and then tormented them.

Pauley developed the character of Buzz Lightyear, and the design went through several changes. Initially, Buzz was envisioned as a smaller figure wearing a red suit, while Woody was larger. However, this size difference would have created problems during filming, so they decided against it. Before settling on Buzz Lightyear, other potential names included Lunar Larry (who would have sported an “LL” belt buckle), Tempus from Morph, and TECOR (Telegalactic Earthbound Cyborg of Rimboz).

Pauley spent time at many toy stores, picking up discounted action figures, and also explored flea markets for pre-owned toys. “To create a convincing world, it’s important that the materials and how the toys are made resonate with viewers. Young children are the true authorities – they instinctively understand how toys function.”

As a movie buff, I always love hearing about the behind-the-scenes stuff, and the way the team animated the toys in this film is fascinating. They actually created real-life versions of the characters first, and a lot of them ended up as toys you could buy! It’s a really wonderful full-circle moment when Pauley brings out his Buzz Lightyear. Apparently, the original figures, made by Thinkway Toys, were some of the first toys ever made using digital models – pretty groundbreaking stuff!

The franchise is constantly updating to appeal to new viewers and seems destined for continued success. Pauley explains, “Each new Toy Story film creates a new generation of fans, and we’re incredibly grateful to be a part of it.”

All four Toy Story films are now streaming on Disney+. You can subscribe to Disney+ for just £4.99 per month, or £89.90 for the year.

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2025-09-30 03:54