Jim Hanks has revealed that although his brother, Tom Hanks, famously voices Woody in the Toy Story films, he has also lent his voice to the beloved cowboy character over the years.
Speaking on the ‘Love It’ podcast, Jim shared that he has voiced Woody for several projects outside the main movies, including toys, video games and theme park attractions.
According to the 64-year-old actor, one of his earliest jobs involved recording lines for Woody pull-string toys from the first ‘Toy Story’ film.
Jim explained that the original audio from Tom’s performance had been heavily processed, so producers needed a “cleaner” version of Tom’s voice, which led him to step in.
He added that he feels “immensely grateful” whenever he is called upon to voice the iconic character, especially when Tom is unavailable.
The actor also noted that he always tries to remain faithful to his brother’s portrayal of Woody, so fans do not notice much difference between their voices.
However, Jim revealed that he was able to inject some of his own personality into the character while voicing Woody for the ‘Midway Mania’ attraction at Disney California Adventure Park.
According to him, he suggested that Woody should speak to children like a “favourite teacher,” adding a slightly different charm to the beloved animated cowboy.
