Tim Allen has a very distinct voice for anyone who grew up on Disney. The “Home Improvement” star revealed he prefers to remain quiet when out in public because he shares a voice with the beloved “Toy Story” character Buzz Lightyear.
Tim Allen’s Voice
Allen — who has voiced Buzz Lightyear since the first film in the franchise was released in 1995 — opened up about how it has affected his life during an interview with SiriusXM on Wednesday, June 10.
“My wife loves going to football games, and I love it, but I cannot speak in public because of Buzz Lightyear,” he said. “I’m a very private guy, but if I’m in the stands — she likes sitting in the stands to see her Steelers play, so we gotta go to these games. And she’ll go, ‘Shut up. If you want something to eat, whisper to me. I’ll go get it.'”
Allen — who has been married to actress Jane Hajduk since 2006 — added, “We saw in Chicago, The Whiz, and I’m sitting there, and she goes, ‘Yeah, you’re with my brother-in-law, but don’t talk.'”
“So we’re sitting there, and it was a really good play, and I get up and walk away, and three of the ladies behind me go, ‘Tom, we just love you in Toy Story,'” he laughed of being confused for Tom Hanks, who voices Woody.
‘Toy Story’ Legacy
Tim Allen and co-star Tom Hanks opened up about the “responsibility” they feel to continue bringing their beloved characters to life.
“It is an absolute honor to have had this responsibility put on us, and we do not take it lightly,” Hanks told On the Red Carpet’s George Pennacchio.
Allen added, “Not at all. It’s a little intimidating as a realistic comedian.”
“I’m not Buzz Lightyear,” he explained. “When you’re waving, these kids are going, ‘Who are those two old men out there?’ And if a certain age group below has no idea it’s Tim Allen and Tom Hanks. Then just above it, it’s ‘Oh, those are the guys that play Woody and Buzz. And then the older people, identify us with those characters. And so I got to be careful.”
Hanks opened up to People about what it means to be a part of the franchise for more than 30 years.
“Oh my Lord, all I can say is the saga continues,” he said. “I have seen it. I don’t know how they do it, but it is a vibrant and proper chapter in the ‘Toy Story’ canon.”
According to the IMDb synopsis for the new movie, “Woody, Buzz, Jessie and the rest of the gang’s jobs are challenged when they’re introduced to electronics, a new threat to playtime.”
In addition to Hanks and Allen, “Toy Story 5” features an ensemble cast with Wallace Shawn, John Ratzenberger, and Annie Potts reprising their roles as Rex, Hamm, and Bo Peep, respectively. Joan Cusack — who joined the cast in 1999’s “Toy Story 2” — returns as Jessie.
The newest film also brings in big names like Conan O’Brien and Bad Bunny.
