Yes, Toy Story has 4 movies (with the 5th about to hit theaters), but Pixar’s super-franchise doesn’t stop there. We have everything from animated shorts to attractions, toys, CDs, or dolls that need someone to voice the characters. And, frankly, Tom Hanks has more important things to do than say eighty times “There’s a snake in my boot!” to keep Mattel happy. That’s where a key person in the franchise comes in: his brother, Jim Hanks.
There’s a brother in me
Now, Jim has explained what his exact role is when his brother is unavailable. Hey, some might see it as a grievance, but for him, it’s an absolutely incredible experience. “The first thing I did was one of those pull toys from the first movie, when he says ‘You’re my favorite deputy,’ ‘There’s a snake in my boot,’ and things like that. They had processed the voice so much that they needed a clearer version, so I went and did it“.
In fact, Jim, who will take home a good amount of money from his participation, has declared to be “immensely grateful”, especially for opportunities like voicing Woody in Disney parks. On one particular roller coaster, Midway Mania, Jim suggested speaking to the kids as if he were their favorite teacher. And of course, they did. “That was really cool, they were very collaborative”.
It doesn’t seem like Jim Hanks will ever make it to the major leagues with Toy Story 6, but for now, he has been voicing a bunch of video games in the series since 1996. Even if we don’t know it, we are his favorite helpers.