The Big Picture

• Tom Hanks' role as Woody in Toy Story was crucial to the film's success, showcasing his talent as the lovable cowboy.
• Pixar used an innovative pitch to convince Hanks to join Toy Story, proving the unconventional method worked.
• Toy Story's enduring popularity and success highlights the importance of Hanks' involvement, shaping Pixar's legacy.

Tom Hanks has many memorable roles, from the title character in Forrest Gump to Cast Away's Chuck Noland, but there is a generation of people who first and foremost know him as Woody from Toy Story. In 1995, the animated film explored what would happen if toys came to life when they were alone, introducing Hanks as the rootinest, tootinest cowboy in the wild, wild west. The heartwarming story of friendship and loyalty united the talents of Hanks as Woody and Tim Allen as Buzz Lightyear in a journey that showed the two going from enemies to friends. Though initially, the concept may seem odd, it has only grown more popular over the years, becoming a franchise with four films, a spin-off film, several shorts, and multiple TV shows. The Toy Story franchise is still growing, with a fifth film in the works, proving that after nearly 30 years, the story is as beloved as ever, but none of this would have happened without Hanks' little cowboy.

As the central character, Woody is essential to Toy Story. He is Andy's favorite and the de facto leader of the toys. Hanks was a genius casting choice as his voice made Woody the endearing and overdramatic toy we all know and love. However, Hanks did not land the role of Woody using traditional methods. Instead, Pixar pursued his talents, though Hanks needed a little convincing before taking on the film. Hanks was clearly the right man for the job, as few others could have made the easily angered cowboy so lovable.

How Did Pixar Convince Tom Hanks To Sign on for ‘Toy Story’?

Pixar has a glowing reputation among animated studios, with many of their films becoming hits. So now, being approached by Pixar would immediately get an actor's attention, but that has not always been the case. When the first Toy Story film was made, Pixar was not the proven entity it is today. Toy Story was Pixar's first full-length film and the studio's first collaboration with Disney, so the fledgling animation studio had yet to make a name for itself. On the other hand, Hanks was already fairly well-known, with several of his iconic roles predating the film. It's no wonder that the creators of Toy Story wanted his name and talent on their project. But rather than an audition or even a more ordinary meeting, Pixar provided Hanks a visual aid to show him what they were thinking.

Years later, Hanks recounted how he got the role in an interview with BBC. He explained that Pixar animated an early version of Woody and used Hanks' voice for the cowboy, specifically by taking Hanks' audio from another film he starred in: Turner & Hooch. The scene they chose was Turner (Hanks) yelling at his canine partner for eating the interior of the car. With only this brief snippet of animation, it is clear how Woody grew from that into the character in the film with his dramatic hand gestures and, of course, Hanks' voice. This unconventional pitch showed off the humor the character could capture and demonstrated their goal for Woody better than any description could.

Tom Hanks Was Quickly Sold After Pixar's Pitch

Of course, we all know that Hanks agreed to be Woody, but it may be less clear that this unconventional method worked almost instantly. The video got Hanks' attention, making history. In his BBC interview, Hanks recalled the event, describing the hesitation of the creators. After all, like most Pixar films, the concept of Toy Story is odd initially. Toys coming to life, robots falling in love, monsters learning the value of laughter, an old man making his house fly — all are odd concepts, but the films each became classics. However, most had Pixar's reputation to rely on, while Toy Story had to pave the path. The creators approached Hanks with an outlandish idea and a brief animation of a cowboy doll yelling at a toy car, so it shouldn't be a surprise that they were less than confident, but it paid off.

Describing the combination of his outraged voice and the little cowboy toy as "undeniably great," Hanks joined the project early on. He explained that the creators tried to describe the risk they were taking, admitting that it may or may not work, but Hanks believed in the project, and thus, he championed the film. It is fortunate that not only did they take a risk in their presentation to Hanks, but that Hanks agreed to star in the project. There is a lot to love about Toy Story, but Hanks is a key part, and without him, the film wouldn't be the same.

'Toy Story' Has Stood the Test of Time

After seeing the video Pixar made to hook him, Hanks couldn't ignore the potential of the character, and thirty years later, the outraged cowboy is still popular, proving that Hanks' assessment was correct. It shouldn't be a shock that Hanks, like so many since, fell in love with the story. Not only did Toy Story inspire an ever-expanding franchise, but without the overwhelming success of its first film, Pixar as a whole would look much different. Toy Story set into motion so much of what the animation studio is known for, but its impact goes even further. As the first collaboration between Pixar and Disney, the success of this film eventually led to their continued partnership, giving the world many more classic films. Beyond that, Toy Story was the first feature-length computer-animated film, becoming a major milestone for the style that is now common in animated films.

Toy Story is remembered for so much, and rightly so, but in all its accomplishments, its plot is overlooked. The film conveys a timeless story about accepting change and making friends. Sure, its sequels are some of the best around, but none of that would be possible without the beautiful story in the original. And without Hanks, Toy Story wouldn't be what it is, proving that this single, risky pitch was instrumental in creating Pixar's most popular franchise.

Toy Story is available to stream on Disney+ in the U.S.

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