Woody and Buzz Lightyear will forever be the faces of the Toy Story franchise, but there are plenty of other characters who help make the series one of the most beloved in Hollywood history. Chief among those is Jessie, who made her debut back in Toy Story 2. With her energetic personality, Jessie can be a source of humor in the movies, but she’s also responsible for some of the most emotionally devastating moments in Pixar history (“When Somebody Loved Me”). As such, she’s continued to resonate with fans for decades, something that voice actress Joan Cusack certainly appreciates — even if it did take her a while to become fond of one of Jessie’s signature trademarks.
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In an interview with ComicBook to promote the release of Toy Story 5 (in theaters June 19th), Cusack touched on her experience playing Jessie and why she enjoys it so much. “You know, I don’t think I ever really realized [Jessie is so important to fans], but I love playing Jessie,” she said. “At first when you come back and you have to do your voice work, they’d say, ‘you know, do you mind doing a yee ha here?’ And I’d be like, ‘Don’t you have enough yee has? I’ve said them for such a long time.’ And then I started loving saying ‘yee ha.’ And I also love saying it in my own life. And I texted to people when nice things are going on. I just, I love Jesse, so I’m so happy. And I could never relate to the Cinderella princesses of the world, you know? And Jesse is caring and she’s loyal, and she’s not afraid of the way she looks. She’s just in it. And I love that about her.”
Jessie Is Even More Important In Toy Story 5
Jessie played a key supporting role in Toy Story 2, as she was part of the Woody’s Roundup gang attempting to convince Woody to join them on display at the toy museum in Japan. To this point, Toy Story 2 has done the deepest dive into Jessie’s character, highlighting her tragic backstory (making her motivations more understandable). After having a change of heart and becoming part of Andy’s main group of toys, Jessie didn’t have much to do in Toy Story 3 and Toy Story 4, which dealt more with Woody and his evolution as he reconciled with Andy growing up.
That’s set to change in Toy Story 5. Jessie is now the sheriff, leading Bonnie’s toys as they find themselves in a showdown against tech. For the first time, she will be the main character of a Toy Story movie, which is an exciting development. Having Jessie be more of the focus as she navigates the challenges of her new role is a way to keep the long-running franchise fresh, tackling the story from a different perspective. Obviously, Woody is back in action as Jessie called upon her old friend for help, but it looks like the cowboy is going to be the supporting player this time around.
Toy Story 5 marketing materials have emphasized Jessie’s expanded role in the anticipated sequel. Notably, audiences are going to see more of her time with Emily, setting the stage for a poignant follow-up to the “When Somebody Loved Me” sequence. Toy Story 2 only scratched the surface of what Jessie went through, and while it was emotionally powerful, it still felt like there was more to tap into. Ideally, Toy Story 5 will further flesh Jessie out, adding a considerable amount of depth to her character. If she’s able to find a way to overcome the tech dilemma, she’ll prove she’s more than capable of being a leader of the group, perhaps paving the way for her to be the centerpiece of additional installments.
If Toy Story 5 is as Jessie-centric as it’s been made out to be and it’s as successful as its predecessors, then fans’ connection to the character will only increase. Jessie could be elevated to joining Woody and Buzz as one of the main faces of the franchise (if she isn’t there already). It’s nice that Pixar has opted to take Toy Story in this direction. Jessie has always been a fan favorite, but for nearly 30 years, she’s been a little underserved on the big screen. Now, she’s getting the starring role she’s always deserved.
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