Out of the Mouths of Cutlery: Tony Hale on “Toy Story 5”

RogerEbert.com, in a conversation with Tony Hale, discusses his return as Forky in Toy Story 5. Hale says that during the making of Toy Story 4 he was so affected by the name Pixar and the scale of the project that, until he heard his own voice in the trailer, he was not sure he had kept the role. This time, though, returning to Forky was calmer for him and felt more like play. In Toy Story 5, Forky is no longer the main focus of the story but is part of the group of toys. The film deals with the arrival of smart technology in the world of children. A new device named Lilypad, voiced by Greta Lee, enters Bonnie's life, and the toys have to find their place against this new rival. Hale says Pixar's message is not that technology is going away. The point is keeping balance and not forgetting human connection. An important part of the conversation returns to the character of Forky. Hale sees Forky as a curious and unguarded being, someone who is not afraid to ask. In his view, Forky's questions about friendship, identity, and his own place in the world can be heavy, yet there is no darkness in his character. Forky simply wants to understand. Hale says this very shamelessness in asking is one of the qualities he loves. The conversation moves from Forky to Hale's other roles, from Buster in Arrested Development to Gary in Veep. Hale says the root of many of these anxious characters is personal for him. He talks about experiencing anxiety in childhood and years of cognitive behavioral therapy, and explains how he learned to calm himself by returning to his five senses. He later saw this same experience reflected in Inside Out 2, where he voiced the character of Fear. On voice acting, Hale says he was nervous at first because he could no longer use his face and body. But he gradually realized that he had to bring the same performance he gives in front of the camera to the microphone, with even greater intensity. Speaking of Forky's future, he says he would like the character to travel and move around the world, because Forky can ask the questions that others are sometimes too embarrassed to ask. At the end of the conversation, Hale mentions a new Nancy Meyers project with Jude Law, Owen Wilson, and Penélope Cruz. He also notes his move from Los Angeles to Alabama, a big change after years of living in Los Angeles.

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