Toy Story’s Andy, 30 years later: Meet the voice that defined a generation

At the end of Toy Story 3, a young adult named Andy sits in the grass with a box of toys in his lap. He lifts them out one by one and tells a young girl why each of them mattered to him – what made them special, and why he held on to them for so long – before giving them away to her forever.

For anyone who saw the first film as a child, that moment cut straight through the years. It was the instant we realised we were still Andy – the young boy whose toys once came to life – and that growing up didn’t mean losing the child inside us. It meant learning how to let go without forgetting who we were.

Thirty years ago today, on November 22, 1995, Toy Story introduced the world to that boy. And for John Morris – who has voiced Andy since he was a child – the connection to him never really faded.

During our conversation, Morris lifts the Andy Funko Pop from his desk. “I was so excited when that happened,” he tells The National. After spending years playing a boy whose whole world was toys, this was the first time he’d had one of himself. “He’s holding Woody and Buzz, and he has the signature red hat. I love that.”

Andy in Toy Story 3. Photo: Disney / Pixar

Morris was slightly older than Andy when he recorded the first film. Pixar’s directors guided him through who Andy was meant to be.

“They said he’s a good kid with a good heart,” he says. The details were easy to relate to. “He’s close with his family, especially his mum and his sibling, and he has a dog. I’ve always had dogs. There were certain things I related to and I could draw on.” His task was simple: think younger, stay present, and let that warmth come through.