Joan Cusack Says Playing Jessie in “Toy Story ”Remains the 'Most Important Thing I’ve Done in My Whole Life'
Joan Cusack Says Playing Jessie in “Toy Story ”Remains the 'Most Important Thing I’ve Done in My Whole Life'
Meredith WilshereSat, June 20, 2026 at 3:59 PM UTC
0
Joan Cusack and Jessie from 'Toy Story'Credit: Getty; Pixar -
Joan Cusack says voicing Jessie in Toy Story is the most meaningful role of her career
The actress, 63, has voiced the beloved cowgirl since 1999
Cusack stepped back from Hollywood after Toy Story 4 to focus on family life in Chicago, but returned to the role in Toy Story 5
There's one role that Joan Cusack thinks is her "most important."
In an interview with ABC, the 63-year-old actress explained why she believes playing Jessie in Toy Story has been a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
"It's been the most important thing I've done in my whole life," she shared.
The Shameless star emphasized the value of making media for children that teaches them valuable lessons and keeps them entertained.
Joan Cusack and Taylor Swift posing with a Jessie mascot from 'Toy Story'Credit: Kevin Mazur/Getty
"That's what kids watch. So to do something like that where you're contributing to their world was fun to think about," she added.
Cusack joined the animated film series to voice Jessie the cowgirl toy in 1999's Toy Story 2.Since then, she has appeared in Toy Story 3, Toy Story 4 and Toy Story 5, the latter of which was released Friday, June 19.
Advertisement
When talking about Jessie's role in the latest installment, Cusack said, "She kind of grows up to be, in this film, a real leader. She's brave, she's fearless, it just gets to some emotional depth that is kind of unexpected."
While Cusack had a few roles in 2019, she took a step back from the spotlight and Hollywood in general to spend time with her family.
Bullseye and Jessie from Toy StoryCredit: Pixar
On Tuesday, June 9, the Oscar nominee explained to Variety that while she feels "so honored to have worked in this industry for a long time," she wanted to prioritize her sons Dylan John and Miles, whom she shares with husband Richard Burke.
"But it's also great to live your life and raise your kids and be in Chicago and be a normal person. It's kind of priceless, so there's that," she said.
The latest iteration of Toy Story includes the return of Tom Hanks as Woody, Tim Allen as Buzz, Tony Hale as Forky, Blake Clark as Slinky Dog, Wallace Shawn as Rex and John Ratzenberger as Hamm.
New characters Lily Pad, Evil Bullseye and Pizza with Sunglasses are voiced by Greta Lee, Alan Cumming and Bad Bunny, respectively.
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
