“I don’t have kids in real life, but I get to be everybody’s Pixar mom. I’m turning 60 in a few weeks, and I feel like I’ve entered my animated mom era. I wear that badge proudly.”

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My friend even dressed up in Space Ranger colors, and before the movie started, we found ourselves talking about just how much these films meant to us growing up. Toy Story is one of those rare series that shaped a generation. (It also had me spontaneously running into my room as a kid to check whether my action figures had come to life.)

Lori Alan, who fans might also recognize as Pearl from SpongeBob and "The Boss" from Metal Gear, has been part of the Toy Story family for more than 15 years as Bonnie's mom.

It was a treat to reunite with Lori to reflect on what makes Bonnie's mom such a special character, the behind-the-scenes magic of working with Pixar, and why the film's message about human connection hits so deeply.

Note: This interview has been edited for length and clarity, and is spoiler-free.

Lori: I love that Bonnie's mom is so real. She wants her daughter to go out into the world, and she supports Bonnie's authentic self. She's not overprotective, she's not a helicopter mom — she wants Bonnie to learn how to use her voice and speak up for herself. She's teaching her how to communicate.

The scene that really made me emotional is when Bonnie is crying in the car. Bonnie's mom knows something is wrong and says, "You're not in trouble, just share your feelings with me." I think that kind of parenting is what brings beautiful people into the world.

Lori: I never expected it. I have so much gratitude. Every time Pixar calls, I think, "I get to go on this incredible ride again!" I've also voiced Mabel's mom in Hoppers, and I voiced Riley's mom's "Sadness" in both Inside Out films.

I got to see [Pixar Chief Creative Officer] Pete Docter at the Toy Story 5 premiere, and he said to me, "You're our good luck charm." It felt like a "pinch me" moment. What a beautiful family to be a part of. 

I don't have kids in real life, but I get to be everybody's Pixar mom. I'm turning 60 in a few weeks, and I feel like I've entered my animated mom era. I wear that badge proudly.

Lori: I didn't record with the other actors, which is really interesting. You can hear Tom Hanks talk about not being in the booth with Tim Allen for 30 years. 

My particular role came out of being in a very cool Pixar loop group [voice actors responsible for background characters]. It's kind of intimidating. You audition for these breakout parts in front of each other. When you get one, they'll notify your team, like, "Lori is now Bonnie's mom!" and you're like, "Oh my gosh!"

Lori: You drive onto the Disney lot, you go into the recording studio, and Pixar treats us very well. The recording day is so magical. They're very good about communicating and making you feel not only welcome, but that they're genuinely grateful you're there. They pick you up, and get you lunch, and the whole thing feels very "when you wish upon a star." 

During recording, I actually didn't know how the movie was going to end. I had no idea. You get to see your voice script and the boards for your scenes a few nights before, but you don't get to see much of anything else until you're getting close to locking in the picture. 

Lori: Kenna [Harris], who is Toy Story 5's co-director and producer, is wonderful and would read with me as Bonnie. I would cry or laugh, and we had a couple of funny outtake moments. [Director] Andrew Stanton was also always in the room, and they're always just so excited. They can already hear where the music will come in, so they know how the scene should feel.

With Bonnie's mom, they wanted to make sure she felt sassy and real. A lot of Bonnie's mom's moments came from me leaning into my own warm, wacky sense of humor.

Lori: I think she would be beside herself. Bonnie's mom is so proud of her daughter, and she's worked really hard to make sure that Bonnie's happy. I think she'd want every shy kid — and any child who's struggling — to experience that kind of magic. I think they would open their house and have visitation days for the toys to hang out and get to know the kids.

She would be so thorough. It would become an art project. She would have a toy museum — you name it!

(Pictured: Co-directors Andrew Stanton and Kenna Harris, Lori Alan, and producer Jessica Choi)

Lori: I have to remind myself to get off my phone at night so I can sleep better. Especially with all these great things going on with Toy Story, I'm like, "Lori, put your phone down!" It makes me realize that face-to-face contact is what's most important. 

What I love about the film's message is that we're not denying tech or devices. It's so cute that the toys go find the older devices, like Smarty Pants and Snappy. That's part of Pixar's magic. The film acknowledges that technology is part of our lives while reminding us that human connection is what really matters.

The scenes that are so moving are when Jessie is really struggling. She needs a child, and she feels like she's lost her purpose. In this crazy world, we need joy and community. We need to be there for one another. When she has that moment, [no spoilers — you'll know which one], I can't stop tearing up and having chills. It's when she realizes, "That's my purpose. I do belong," and Bullseye is right there beside her.

Lori: People think voice actors are 1,000% confident, when we are just these sensitive, zany, really cool nerds. We're the ones who got in trouble growing up for being too sensitive or too loud at school. Now we get to put our voices to good use, and it brings us a lot of joy. 

We don't get to see each other as often anymore. Since the pandemic, we're all in our home studios. When I get to go in person for something like SpongeBob, we get there early, we're excited, we're always talking too much. 

We all work together and mentor each other. I had a lot of amazing people in my career who really showed me the ropes. I loved working with Scarlett [Spears], who played Bonnie in the film.

If you have the amazing fortune of being able to do this, the magic never goes away.

Toy Story 5 is in theaters now. Follow Lori on Instagram, @loritalk4.