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Tim Allen revealed he had an uncomfortable conversation with Toy Story 5′s crew when they began sessions and came to understand that Buzz sounded “a little old.” The actor confessed he feared he was going to lose out on the role he’s voiced for decades. However, the staff found a way to help him get his classic voice back again.
As we wait for the Pixar movie’s release on the 2026 movie schedule, Tim Allen spoke to Deadline about how he found out his voice sounded a little weathered, and how troubling the situation got once he was made aware of it:
We did the first session and everybody said, in a nice way, ‘Buzz is starting to sound a little old!’ Because I panicked after that, I couldn’t get my voice to register, and it was gravely.
Toy Story 5 originally didn’t feature Woody, but now it seems as though it’ll address the toy’s “age” with a few jokes. As for Buzz, he still looks pretty good for a ’90s toy, but again, he was manufactured way later than Woody. In that sense, it makes sense that Buzz would still have a young voice, especially if Tom Hanks didn’t sound older when bringing back his character.
Being older presumably hasn’t come back to bite Tim Allen thus far. His series Shifting Gears, which was recently renewed for Season 3, even leans into it. He didn’t want to sound old for Toy Story 5; however, fortunately, the crew brought in an expert to get his voice back in shape:
Luckily, we got an opera and stage coach from New York City. She got with me she said, ‘Your voice doesn’t get old, but at your age you gotta warm up….’ I never warmed up. It was weird because I said, ‘You’re going to get somebody else to do this aren’t you?’ They said no, and the voice came back. It was a real challenge, and because of that I took care of my voice.
At first, I didn’t see this as a big deal. Personally, I think Toy Story 5 is being made for the generations that grew up with the franchise, many of whom are well aware that the voice actors are getting older. I think that’s evident enough in the slightly darker tone being pitched for the movie, with the understanding that some of these viewers are bringing their kids with them.
On the other side of the coin, I think back to when I caught up with more recent seasons of The Simpsons with my Disney+ subscription. As someone who grew up watching these characters, it’s impossible to ignore how distinctly different they sound decades down the road. Given that, I can understand why Tim Allen feared he’d be replaced and they’d find a soundalike to take over for Buzz.
It’s ironic that Allen feared being replaced, given that Toy Story 5‘s plot is centered around a new tablet that may replace them as Bonnie’s primary source of entertainment. Worried, the toys radio in Woody, which was a surprise considering many thought he was gone after the previous movie. I’m eager to see how the rest of this story plays out and what big message we’re meant to take away at the end of it.
Toy Story 5 is in theaters on June 19th, and I’m thrilled to take my child to see it. I’m also thrilled that Tim Allen was able to get his voice to where he wanted it for this.