Tom Hanks and Tim Allen may be best known as Woody and Buzz Lightyear, but it turns out for a long time Toy Story co-stars have also built a real-life friendship over the past three decades.
While promoting Toy Story 5 during a recent SiriusXM front row event organized by Julia Cunninghamreflected the actors on the bond they have formed since they first stepped into the recording booth together for Pixar’s groundbreaking 1995 animated film.
Empty explained that the friendship between Woody and Buzz helped create a real connection between the actors themselves.
“We found that there was a sinister meaning in the friendship between Woody and Buzz and the stories that were imagined and brought to us by the Pixar people,” he said. “So much so, that’s why we started meeting and talking about this and other aspects of life and career.”
Tom Hanks reveals how often he and Tim Allen meet
According to A league of its own star, he and Hours still make time for each other even after almost 30 years of working together.
“It’s fun. When we get together and have lunch — we do about every three or four months — and people put together, like Woody and Buzz share, you know, a club sandwich,” he said.
Empty joked that fans often can’t help but react when they see them together.
“At some point they just come over. ‘Sorry, my head just exploded, Woody and Buzz right here.’
Hours couldn’t resist taking a playful jab at his frequent co-star.
“You’re so much older in person,” he joked.
Why Tom Hanks and Tim Allen keep coming back for more Toy Story film
Empty also revealed that he and Hours Don’t automatically sign up every time Pixar suggests another installment. They often debate whether there is a good reason to continue the beloved franchise.
“Every time they said, ‘Hey, we want to do another one Toy Story movies,” first of all, they don’t have to,” the Oscar-winning actor explained. “No one is saying, ‘Hey, come on, make another one Toy Story film.’ They have to figure it out and they actually have to pass a little bit with us already.”
Empty continued, “(Hours and I) talk about it on the phone. We meet and say, ‘What do you hear? What are those jungle drums beating?’ And they kind of have to, you know, prove that there’s a reason to be another one Toy Story film. And they did.”
Hours agreed, noting that the friendship at the center of the franchise is what has always made the films special.
Toy Story 5 will be released in theaters on June 16, 2026. Watch the trailer!
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