Tony Hale Thought He’d Be Cut From “Toy Story 5”

Tony Hale still cannot quite believe he’s part of the Toy Story family even after voicing one of its most beloved characters. The 54-year-old actor admitted to PEOPLE that when he first recorded lines for Toy Story 4, he assumed he wouldn’t make it into the movie. 

“It wasn’t until I heard my voice on the Toy Story 4 trailer that I actually thought I was still in it,” Tony said. “The whole time I was like, ‘They’re going to cut me. They’re going to replace me with some huge star.’”

Not only did he make the cut, but his character Forky,  a googly-eyed spork brought to life by Bonnie, became a central part of the Oscar-winning 2019 film. With his mismatched eyes, popsicle stick feet, pipe-cleaner arms, and obsession with trash cans, Forky was unlike any toy Pixar had created before.

“What I loved is that [Forky] was the first toy made by a kid. So talk about simplicity. I mean, it was like a spork and some pipe cleaner arms, some popsicle feet,” Tony explained. 

Tony says that simplicity is what makes the character resonate, not just with children but with adults too. “When you were playing in a world of Forky from Toy Story, it means just the power of simplicity. That’s why children’s books are so popular. I mean, sometimes adults gravitate to children’s books because of the simplicity.”

Now, Forky is set to return in Toy Story 5, due out June 19, 2026. Tony has already recorded his scenes, but Pixar’s legendary secrecy means even he doesn’t know the full story. “They give you pieces of the script, and so I saw glimpses, but the glimpses I saw are pretty cool,” he teased. The only hint he would share is that the theme will explore toys versus technology.

Still, Tony says he’s happy to stay in the dark until opening night. “I don’t want to lose the surprise. I want to be completely surprised with Toy Story 5.”