Sheriff Woody Pride (or simply Woody) is a pull-string cowboy doll who appears in the Disney–Pixar Toy Story franchise. In the films, Woody is one of the main protagonists, alongside Buzz Lightyear, Jessie, Bo Peep, and Bullseye. He is primarily voiced by Tom Hanks, who voices him in the Toy Story films, short films, and TV specials. Hanks's brother, Jim Hanks, voices him in video games, attractions, and other merchandise.
Woody was created by directors and writers John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton, Pete Docter, and Joe Ranft. His facial features are based on the former Disney animator Tone Thyne. Woody was designed by Bud Luckey, and is based on John Lasseter's Casper pull-string doll he had as a kid, as well as the Howdy Doody puppets from the 1950s show. In August 2009, Toy Story 3 director Lee Unkrich stated in his Twitter feed that Woody's last name is Pride and has been since the making of the original movie.
In the first film, Woody is Andy Davis's favorite toy and is the leader of Andy's toys. When Andy gets a new toy called Buzz Lightyear, Woody feels his position is jeopardized, but the two later become friends. In the second film, he figures out he used to be in a popular TV show called Woody's Roundup alongside other three toys and is asked to stay with the group, but he decides to stay with Andy's toys; all but one member of the group also join the reform party. In the third film, Andy leaves to go to college so he decides to give his toys to a little girl named Bonnie Anderson; he had initially planned to take Woody to college, before seeing that Bonnie loved him. In the fourth, Bonnie's family decides to go on a vacation and Woody finds his long-lost girlfriend, Bo Peep. He decides to leave his fellow toys and Bonnie behind and go with Bo Peep to help lost toys find new owners. He returns in the fifth film in a supporting role to help his fellow toys avoid being forgotten by Bonnie during a crisis. Since his debut, Woody has received largely positive reception from reviewers due to his character's arc and personality, as well as Tom Hanks's vocal performance.
Development
Steve Jobs, founder and former owner of Pixar, made a deal with Disney, under chairman Jeffrey Katzenberg, to collaborate on the film Toy Story, set to be the first feature-length computer-animated film. The original draft for the film Toy Story, by Pixar animators John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton, and Pete Docter, had almost nothing to do with the eventually finished film. It had Tinny, the one-man band from Tin Toy, as the main character and Woody as an evil ventriloquist dummy. Woody would be the main villain, abusing the other toys until they rallied against him. After Disney executives saw the draft, they sent negative feedback about it and production on the movie was shut down, until a better draft could be revised. Tom Hanks, the primary voice of Woody, was unhappy with the character and reportedly shouted "This guy is a jerk!" while recording lines for the story reel. Katzenberg thought the original draft for Toy Story was bad and told Lasseter to redo it, making it more of an odd-couple buddy picture, where the characters Tinny and Woody would be forced to bond with each other despite their different characteristics.
After the negative feedback, Lasseter, Stanton, and Docter got together in early September 1991 with the second draft of the film, and although the lead characters were still Tinny and the dummy, the outline of the final film was beginning to take shape. The Pixar team came back with a new script three months later, with the character of Woody altered from being the tyrannical boss of Andy's toys to being their wise and caring leader.
Woody was inspired by a Casper the Friendly Ghost doll that Lasseter had when he was a kid and the puppets from the children's television show Howdy Doody. They based his facial features on Disney animator Tone Thyne. Woody stayed a ventriloquist's dummy with a pull-string (hence the name Woody), until his character designer, Bud Luckey, suggested that Woody could be changed to a cowboy ventriloquist dummy. Lasseter liked the difference between the western and the science fiction genres, so Woody was instantly changed. Eventually, all the ventriloquist dummy features of Woody were deleted as the dummy looked "sneaky and mean". However, they kept the name Woody in homage to the American singer and fiddler Woody Paul. In August 2009, Lee Unkrich, Toy Story 3 director, stated on his Twitter feed that Woody's last name is Pride and has been since earliest days of development.
Voice
Paul Newman, Robin Williams, and Clint Eastwood were all considered for the voice of Woody, but John Lasseter always wanted Tom Hanks to voice Woody, stating that Hanks "has the ability to take emotions and make them appealing. Even if the character, like the one in A League of Their Own, is down-and-out and despicable." To see how Hanks's voice might fit with Woody, Lasseter borrowed a common Disney technique: animate a vocal monologue from a well-established actor to meld the actor's voice with the appearance or actions of the animated character. The early test footage of using Hanks's voice from Turner & Hooch convinced Hanks to sign on to the film. At Hanks's suggestion, Pixar employed his brother Jim Hanks to perform Woody's voice for video games, toys, attractions, and other merchandise.
Characteristics Woody is an old-fashioned floppy pull-string cowboy doll. The voice-box that is activated by the pull-string says many simple phrases such as "Reach for the sky!", "You're my favorite deputy!", "There's a snake in my boot!", and "Somebody's poisoned the waterhole!". His construction includes an "original hand-painted face, natural dyed-blanket stitched vest", and "hand-stitched poly-vinyl hat". Woody also wears an empty gun holster at his belt.
He has been Andy's favorite toy since kindergarten, with a special spot on the bed, and is the leader and the brains of the toys in Andy's room. Andrew Stanton said that he understood that Woody would need to be a lovable yet flawed leader since he is somewhat selfish. In Toy Story 2, it was revealed that he starred as the main character from a popular 1950s TV show Woody's Roundup. When Al is bargaining with Andy's mom in an attempt to take Woody, Andy's mom declines, stating that Woody is "an old family toy." Prospector also directly and derogatorily refers to him as a "hand-me-down cowboy doll" later in the movie. John Lasseter said "we always thought" that Woody is "kind of a hand-me-down" to Andy from his father.
In the mock outtakes of Toy Story 2, Woody is shown to have a more mischievous side by pulling pranks on Buzz Lightyear, which includes drawing on his helmet and wings, and hiding in a Buzz Lightyear cardboard box to make faces as he walks past the hundreds of Buzz Lightyear toys on the shelves.
Appearances
Toy Story films Toy Story (1995)
Woody is the favorite toy of his owner Andy Davis and is the leader of the toys in Andy's room. However, his position is jeopardized by the arrival of Buzz Lightyear, an astronaut action figure that Andy got as a birthday present. Buzz is convinced that he is an actual Space Ranger instead of a toy. The other toys quickly come to like him more than Woody. Annoyed and jealous, Woody tries to knock Buzz behind a desk, in hopes of retaining his status as Andy's favorite toy, but accidentally knocks Buzz out an open window. The other toys (except for Bo Peep and Slinky Dog) accuse Woody of getting rid of Buzz on purpose. Woody tries to explain that it was just an accident, but the toys (again except for Bo and Slinky) do not believe him and become more antagonistic towards him (especially Mr. Potato Head and Hamm the Piggy Bank).
While on the way to Pizza Planet, a fight separates them from Andy at a gas station, which leads to them to being captured by Sid Phillips, Andy's malicious neighbor who likes to destroy toys for fun. While at Sid's house, Buzz becomes depressed after realizing he is an action figure, but Woody cheers him up by explaining how happy he made Andy. They work together and eventually reunite with Andy as he and his family move to a new house. Woody is also re-accepted among the other toys and forms a strong friendship with Buzz.
Toy Story 2 (1999)
While Woody is trying to save another toy from being sold at Andy's family yard sale, Al McWhiggin, a toy collector, spots Woody and steals him to bring him to his apartment. At Al's apartment, Woody discovers his past and legacy as the star of a 1957 Western children's show titled Woody's Roundup. It starred Stinky Pete the Prospector, Jessie the Cowgirl, and Woody's horse Bullseye. Woody learns that he and the other Roundup toys are going to be shipped to Japan by Al to be displayed in a toy museum, which will only accept the collection if Woody is in it.
Prospector is intent to make sure that the Roundup toys get into the museum; he convinces Woody to go along to Japan and forget Andy. Buzz and a few of the toys arrive to rescue Woody, who changes his mind and decides to return home. However, Prospector prevents Woody from leaving the apartment, ultimately leading to a confrontation at the airport, where the Prospector's plan is foiled. Woody, Buzz, and the other toys return to Andy's house, bringing Jessie and Bullseye with them.
Toy Story 3 (2010)
Andy is now 17 years old, and is preparing to leave for college. When Andy's other toys mistakenly believe that they are being thrown out as trash, they decide to donate themselves to the Sunnyside Daycare Center. While the others chose to stay at the daycare, Woody attempts to return to Andy, but instead is found and taken home by a little girl named Bonnie, who attends Sunnyside. At Bonnie's house, Woody becomes friends with her toys, who are horrified that he came from Sunnyside and tell him about the true nature of the daycare.
Woody returns to the daycare to tell the other toys the true story of Sunnyside, but finds that Andy's toys are being imprisoned during the night by the daycare toys' bitter leader, Lotso. During the day Woody gathers Andy's toys and tries to devise a plan to help them escape the daycare at night. The plan works out until Lotso figures out where they are and confronts them near the daycare's dumpster. During the confrontation, they all end up inside the dumpster and are taken to a landfill by the nearby dump truck. Andy's toys escape from the fiery landfill, when the toy aliens use the giant claw inside the landfill to grab them and take them to a safe spot. The toys return to Andy's house, and Woody arranges for the toys to be donated to Bonnie's house to enjoy life with a new owner. Andy describes to Bonnie how he viewed his old toys and states that Woody is his favorite toy because he is loyal and will never give up on anyone.
Toy Story 4 (2019)
By the events of Toy Story 3, Woody is struggling to adapt to life with Bonnie, as he is no longer the leader of the group (Dolly is the leader of Bonnie's toys); furthermore, Bonnie has lost interest in him. Later, Bonnie creates a new toy, Forky, who believes himself to be trash because his body consists primarily of a disposable spork. Woody tries repeatedly to keep Forky from throwing himself away. In one instance, the two become separated from Bonnie and the other toys while on vacation. While trying to reunite with Bonnie, Woody teaches Forky the joys and responsibilities of being a toy. Woody later encounters Bo Peep, who has lived on her own for years without an owner, after being sold by Andy's mother nine years earlier.