Annie Potts Talks Bo Peep's Action Fueled Return in Toy Story 4

With Toy Story 4, the franchise brought back one of its original toys with the return of Annie Potts as Bo Peep, and she’s back a very different toy than when we last saw her (way back in 1999’s Toy Story 2)!

“It was presented to me in that you know, she had been out on her own and had a lot of challenges and met them with the grace and dignity and new sort of just like, as people do,” Potts told us at the film’s press junket. “And I think that it’s a story like an immigrant and there’s a lot of stories all over the world like that. She’s been homeless and she’s made the best of it. And she’s in good spirits about it, you know? Her arm is torn off and she’s like, ‘Ah, that’s nothing.’ So she’s very resilient. And I think these are all fantastic concepts for grown-ups and children to hear. It reminds us that we can keep going on and still have our sense of humor and all of that.”

Toy Story 4 establishes early on that Bo has been gone for the better part of a decade, off having her own adventures, and keeping her guard up about her past.

“I think she’s held some cards kind of close to her vest because maybe she didn’t want to admit to anybody else or maybe herself how much Woody meant to her because she’s a girl who’s picked her chin up and gone forward. And she’s not full of any kind of self pity, but I’m sure she said there was this guy and he meant a lot to me.”

The previous Toy Story movies saw Bo Peep as a delicate, porcelain figure, seldom taking on the kind of rough housing that the other toys could participate in. For the sequel though, Bo has had to adapt. She roams the wilds of the world in a tricked out RC car, her skirt is now a cape, and her arm has even come off at one point (don’t worry, it still works thanks to to tape! Potts clued us in to a secret for recording dialogue for a Pixar character with frequent action.

“In the script, those are written as ‘Efforts,'” Potts says of the sounds of physical exertion she has to make. “And she’s moving this, sound of effort. And so, you have to make an effort to achieve that sound.”

Another recording secret Potts revealed to us? While everyone else recorded their sessions on their own, she got to record her scenes with Tom Hanks alongside the legendary actor!

“I hadn’t worked with him in the earlier ones, but it’s wonderful to work with him. He’s such a great actor, and it’s great to be in the room because he gives it 195 percent, and he’s also just incredibly charming and sweet and fun, you know? It’s just fun.”

Toy Story 4 is in theaters now! Get your tickets by clicking here!

Toy Story 4

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FRIENDS IN LOW PLACES -- In Disney and Pixar’s “Toy Story 4,” the toys find themselves in the dusty shadows of Second Chance Antiques—a massive set that had to be stocked with thousands of objects, creating nooks and crannies that serve as the toys’ secret corridors. Featuring Annie Potts, Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Jordan Peele and Keegan-Michael Key as the voices of Bo Peep, Woody, Buzz Lightyear, Bunny and Ducky, “Toy Story 4” opens in U.S. theaters on June 21, 2019. ©2019 Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved.
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AND BEYOND – Buzz Lightyear is back on the big screen in Disney and Pixar’s “Toy Story 4,” joining Woody and the whole gang on an eye-opening road trip that takes them to unexpected places, including a carnival. Featuring Tim Allen as the voice of Buzz, “Toy Story 4” opens in U.S. theaters on June 21, 2019. ©2019 Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved.
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ROAD TRIP – In Disney and Pixar’s “Toy Story 4,” Buzz, Jessie and the rest of Bonnie’s toys concoct a plan to find their friends when Woody and Forky go missing. Featuring the voices of Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, Bonnie Hunt, Kristen Schaal, Wallace Shawn, John Ratzenberger, Blake Clark and Jeff Garlin, “Toy Story 4” opens in U.S. theaters on June 21, 2019. ©2019 Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved.
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THREE-IN-ONE – He’s not a fork. He’s not a spoon. And most of all, Forky is not a toy! At least that’s what he thinks. Bonnie created him from an assortment of supplies Woody’s retrieved from the kindergarten trash can. So, it’s no wonder Forky feels strongly that he’s trash and not a toy. Featuring Tony Hale as the voice of Forky, Disney and Pixar’s “Toy Story 4” opens in U.S. theaters on June 21, 2019. ©2019 Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved.
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IT’S ALL IN THE DETAILS – Artists created detailed sets in Disney and Pixar’s “Toy Story 4” because their main characters are toys—details are important as they showcase the small size of the toys and their unique world perspective. In these images set in a carnival game booth, artists and technicians were able to illustrate the mobile nature of carnival booths, adding details like slight bends and welding detail in the metal grid near Buzz Lightyear. Directed by Josh Cooley, “Toy Story 4” opens in U.S. theaters on June 21, 2019. ©2019 Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved.
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LIGHTING -- To create a sequence in Disney and Pixar’s “Toy Story 4,” the lighting department is responsible for lighting the scene in a way that supports the story—in this case, using shadow and color to help convey the tone of the sequence as it progresses from uncertain to mildly menacing. Directed by Josh Cooley, “Toy Story 4” opens in U.S. theaters on June 21, 2019. ©2019 Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved.
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LAYOUT – To create a sequence in Disney and Pixar’s “Toy Story 4,” members of the camera and staging team use the storyboards to further explore how best to shoot the sequence. This team determines placement of the virtual cameras, which informs the sets teams where to place set pieces and props. Camera and staging also roughly choreographs the movement of the characters, considering framing, composition, lens, camera angle, stage lines and screen directions. This image shows the team exploring camera placement within the virtual set. Directed by Josh Cooley, “Toy Story 4” opens in U.S. theaters on June 21, 2019. ©2019 Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved.
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DETAILS, DETAILS – Artists created detailed sets in Disney and Pixar’s “Toy Story 4” because their main characters are toys—details are important as they showcase the small size of the toys and their unique world perspective. In these images set in Second Chance Antiques, artists and technicians added a layer of dust to sell the setting. They were able to dial up or dial down the dust to best serve the needs of a given scene. Directed by Josh Cooley, “Toy Story 4” opens in U.S. theaters on June 21, 2019. ©2019 Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved.
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Toy Story 4 "Bo Is Back" Presenters (L-R) Patty Kihm (Directing Animator), Mara MacMahon (Characters Modeling Artist), Tanja Krampfert, Becki Tower (Directing Animator), Carrie Hobson (Story Artist), Valerie LaPointe (Story Supervisor) on April 3. Photo by Marc Flores. ©2019 Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved.
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Stephen Karski (Sets Supervisor) as seen on the Toy Story 4 Long Lead Press Day, on April 4, 2019 at Pixar Animation Studios in Emeryville, Calif. Photo by Marc Flores. ©2019 Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved.
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STORYBOARD – To create a sequence in Disney and Pixar’s “Toy Story 4,” one of the early steps in the production pipeline is building storyboards. Artists sketch the key beats in a sequence, suggesting possible set positioning, camera angles and character poses. This sequence is when Woody and Forky meet Gabby Gabby for the first time. Directed by Josh Cooley, “Toy Story 4” opens in U.S. theaters on June 21, 2019. ©2019 Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved.
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THEN AND NOW – Filmmakers behind “Toy Story 4” were committed to keeping the new film in the same universe as the original “Toy Story.” But 24 years have passed since “Toy Story” debuted and the technology—as well as the experience and knowledge of the people behind it—has advanced lightyears, so to speak. These images showcase those advances in terms of character shapes and textures, rigging, rendering and lighting. Directed by Josh Cooley, “Toy Story 4” opens in U.S. theaters on June 21, 2019. ©2019 Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved.
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Characters Modeling Artist Mara MacMahon during the Toy Story 4 Long Lead Press Day as seen on April 4, 2019 at Pixar Animation Studios in Emeryville, Calif. Photo by Marc Flores. ©2019 Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved.
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Directing Animator Becki Tower during the Toy Story 4 Long Lead Press Day as seen on April 4, 2019 at Pixar Animation Studios in Emeryville, Calif. Photo by Marc Flores. 2019 Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved.
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Kristian Norelius and Yekaterina Satanina look at Daniel Holland's pinball machine, used as reference for Toy Story 4, as seen in the art department room on August 7, 2018 at Pixar Animation Studios in Emeryville, Calif. (Photo by Deborah Coleman / Pixar)
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A Toy Story 4 art review, including Director Josh Cooley and Dan Holland, as seen on September 11, 2018 at Pixar Animation Studios in Emeryville, Calif. (Photo by Deborah Coleman / Pixar)
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A Toy Story 4 art review, including graphic artist Josh Holtsclaw and Director Josh Cooley, as seen on September 11, 2018 at Pixar Animation Studios in Emeryville, Calif. (Photo by Deborah Coleman / Pixar)
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Toy Story 4 Director Josh Cooley during a review, as seen on October 23, 2018 at Pixar Animation Studios in Emeryville, Calif. (Photo by Deborah Coleman / Pixar)
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The Toy Story 4 art gallery, as seen on March 18, 2019 at Pixar Animation Studios in Emeryville, Calif. (Photo by Deborah Coleman / Pixar)
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The Toy Story 4 art gallery, as seen on March 18, 2019 at Pixar Animation Studios in Emeryville, Calif. (Photo by Deborah Coleman / Pixar)
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The Toy Story 4 art gallery, as seen on March 18, 2019 at Pixar Animation Studios in Emeryville, Calif. (Photo by Deborah Coleman / Pixar)
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Rosie Cole as seen on the Toy Story 4 Long Lead Press Day, on April 3, 2019 at Pixar Animation Studios in Emeryville, Calif. (Photo by Deborah Coleman / Pixar)
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Claudio De Oliveira presents details about the creation of the character Forky, as seen on the Toy Story 4 Long Lead Press Day, on April 3, 2019 at Pixar Animation Studios in Emeryville, Calif. (Photo by Deborah Coleman / Pixar)
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NEW TOY? – Everyone’s favorite pull-string cowboy sheriff Woody, along with his best friends Buzz Lightyear and Jessie, are happy taking care of their kid, Bonnie, until a new toy called “Forky” arrives in her room. According to Forky, a spork-turned-craft-project, he’s not a toy at all—and he’d rather skip this big adventure completely, if only they’d let him. Tom Hanks, Tim Allen and Joan Cusack return as the voices of Woody, Buzz and Jessie, and comedian Tony Hale lends his voice to Forky. Directed by Josh Cooley (“Riley’s First Date?”) and produced by Jonas Rivera (“Inside Out,” “Up”) and Mark Nielsen (associate producer “Inside Out”), “Toy Story 4” ventures to U.S. theaters on June 21, 2019. ©2018 Disney•Pixar. All Rights Reserved.
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PICK ME! -- Ducky and Bunny are carnival prizes who are eager to be won. But when their plans are rudely interrupted, they find themselves on an unexpected adventure with a group of toys who have no idea what it feels like to be tacked to a prize wall. Funny men Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele provide the voices of Ducky and Bunny, respectively. Directed by Josh Cooley (“Riley’s First Date?”) and produced by Jonas Rivera (“Inside Out,” “Up”) and Mark Nielsen (associate producer “Inside Out”), “Toy Story 4” ventures to U.S. theaters on June 21, 2019. ©2018 Disney•Pixar. All Rights Reserved.
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