Ahead of “Toy Story 5,” Joan Cusack says Jessie’s new arc goes “really deep and powerful,” and reveals she didn’t hear about Taylor Swift’s “beautiful” song connection until shortly before it came out. Cusack, 63, also describes returning to the red carpet aft
The new “Toy Story 5” isn’t just bringing Jessie back—it’s putting her in the center of a story that, in Joan Cusack’s words, reaches “deep and powerful” territory for a character fans know for grit and heart.
Cusack, 63, voices Jessie in Pixar’s latest chapter, which opens in theaters June 19. This time, Jessie isn’t simply part of the crew—she leads as the toys fall into an existential crisis. In the movie. Jessie is upset when frog tablet Lilypad. voiced by Greta Lee. enters the home and draws 8-year-old Bonnie’s attention away from the rest of the toys.
The plot turns from there: a series of unfortunate events sends Jessie to the farm where her first owner Emily once lived—an earlier bond that. Cusack says in character terms. Jessie feels abandoned her years ago. From that point. Jessie teams up with some tech toys to find a way home. while the film also reveals more of Jessie’s origins.
Cusack describes what that shift means for the character on screen. “Really deep and powerful and unveils some of her deepest levels. which is just so unusual in a cartoon. ” she said. She added that Jessie still keeps the guiding mission clear: “But at the same time. keeping the eye on the ball. which is to make their kid happy. That’s her job, and on that journey, she grows because she loves her kid so much. It’s just so beautiful.”.
For fans of both Pixar and pop music, Jessie’s moment arrives with a second headline-worthy thread: Taylor Swift. Cusack says Swift’s latest single “I Knew It. I Knew You” became tied to the “Toy Story 5” buzz—and she didn’t learn about Swift’s song until just days before it dropped. “I didn’t know about it until a few days before it dropped. ” Cusack said. calling it “beautiful.” She also praised the track as “so great.”.
That soundtrack connection helped make “Toy Story 5” a rare kind of media crossover—and it pulled Cusack herself back into the spotlight. She returned to the red carpet for the first time in 11 years when she attended the film’s recent premiere. Cusack arrived with her husband, Richard Burke, and their two sons, Dylan, 28, and Miles, 25.
For Cusack’s children, she said it felt like stepping into Hollywood from the inside. “Such a step into the Hollywood world,” Cusack said. She also framed the return as personal after years largely anchored at home. “I live in Chicago and I’ve kind of done some things. but sort of focused on raising my kids. ” she said.
Jessie’s voice—distinct, familiar, and instantly recognizable to many viewers—doesn’t always land visually the same way. Cusack said some fans notice her voice when she speaks. but don’t immediately connect it to Jessie because they don’t see her as the cowgirl character. “Sometimes when I talk, people will look at me” because they recognize her, she said. “And they don’t know from where because I don’t look like Jesse, so it doesn’t immediately come to mind.”.
Outside of acting, Cusack runs a gift ship in Chicago’s Old Town neighborhood called Judy Maxwell Home, named after Barbra Streisand’s character in “What’s Up, Doc?”
The movie’s release is June 19, and for Cusack, the excitement isn’t just about Jessie’s punchy personality—it’s about how the film gives that personality a new kind of depth while keeping the focus on the bond at the center of the franchise.
Joan Cusack Jessie Toy Story 5 Pixar Taylor Swift I Knew It I Knew You Greta Lee Bonnie Bullseye Richard Burke Judy Maxwell Home