In 1995, Pixar Animation Studios redefined the film landscape with the release of its first feature, “Toy Story,” in collaboration with Disney. Since then, Pixar’s projects have become synonymous with memorable characters and poignant storytelling. (If you’ve ever watched the first 10 minutes of 2009’s “Up,” you know what we’re talking about.) So, it’s no surprise that the studio isn’t slowing down anytime soon, with several titles in the works at any given time.
As Pixar continues to expand its catalog, each movie presents opportunities to join the studio’s talented roster of voice actors. In this guide, we’ll explore everything you need to know about getting cast in a Pixar movie, sharing insight into the casting process and audition advice from the studio’s most famous voices.
JUMP TO
- What is Pixar?
- Which actors voice Pixar’s most famous characters?
- Who are the casting directors behind Pixar’s top titles?
- How does the casting process work for Pixar films?
- What Pixar projects are currently filming?
- Where can you find Pixar casting calls and auditions?
- What are the best audition tips for landing a role in a Pixar movie?
Walt Disney Studios acquired Pixar in 2006, but the animation studio actually got its start as the computer division of Lucasfilm. Later, the division became an independent company known as Pixar when Apple co-founder Steve Jobs invested a hefty chunk of change into developing it as a stand-alone studio. Pixar then began collaborating with Disney on an animation system. From this point, the studio started to create its iconic characters; the Oscar-nominated 1986 short film “Luxo Jr.” introduced an anthropomorphic desk lamp that became Pixar’s eventual mascot, appearing during each project’s title sequence. And, of course, Pixar introduced the first-ever computer-animated feature film “Toy Story” in the mid ’90s; the film became a critical darling that’s withstood the test of time, much like the studio’s subsequent franchises, including “Monsters, Inc.,” “Finding Nemo,” “The Incredibles,” “Cars,” and “Inside Out.”
Any given Pixar film features an array of recognizable voices. Tom Hanks and Tim Allen have voiced Woody and Buzz Lightyear, respectively, in all four (soon-to-be five) “Toy Story” movies. Holly Hunter and Craig T. Nelson are the actors behind Helen and Bob Parr, aka Elastigirl and Mr. Incredible from “The Incredibles” franchise. John Goodman and Billy Crystal voiced James P. “Sulley” Sullivan and Mike Wazowski, respectively, in both “Monsters, Inc.” and “Monsters University.” And Owen Wilson and Larry the Cable Guy voiced Lightning McQueen and Tow Mater, respectively, in the “Cars” franchise.
However, casual fans may be unaware that one star—“Cheers” actor John Ratzenberger— voiced a character in every single Pixar film up until 2020’s “Onward” (though he did return to voice Fritz in 2024’s “Inside Out 2”). From Hamm in “Toy Story” to Yeti in “Monsters, Inc.,” his distinctive voice will always be part of the Pixar legacy.
“Incredibles 2”
Natalie Lyon and Kevin Reher remain two of Pixar’s most prolific casting directors, having assembled the voices for “Ratatouille,” “WALL-E,” “Up,” “Monsters University,” “Inside Out,” “Coco,” “Onward,” “Soul,” “Turning Red,” and so many other titles. Ruth Lambert also had a hand in bringing together the original cast for Pixar staples, like “Toy Story,” “Monsters, Inc.,” and “A Bug’s Life,” while Mary Hidalgo cast “Finding Nemo” and “The Incredibles.”
Lambert told us it does not matter if you only have live-action experience; she just wants to find actors who are good and can improvise. “Sometimes it’s a leap of faith, but we count on the fact that they’re good actors. Even if they’re just known for dramatic roles or one-hour dramas, you know that they’ve trained and they’ve done other things; they’ve done comedy,” she shared. “[We] don’t want [auditions] to be too cartoony and too nuts. [We] lean toward good actors who can bring it down a little bit.”
Former Pixar animator and director Ash Brannon (“Toy Story,” “A Bug’s Life,” “Toy Story 2”) echoed the importance of improvisation, while also noting the main differences between live acting and voice acting. “The norm for recording actors for animation is to have them record their lines solo. Even if it’s a scene with other characters, they’re on the stage alone, recording their lines,” Brannon told us. “If they are lucky, they will have someone—maybe a PA or perhaps the director—reading the other lines. It takes a tremendous amount of imagination and all you have in front of you is a music stand and your lines.”
He continued, “No costume, no set, no other actors—none of those things that help actors, that help you get into character, are present. The other big challenge is that you are without the benefit of your facial expressions, your gestures, because all we are going to record is your voice. Everything has to go into your voice work. That’s the sum of your performance.”
“Soul”
As Lyon told us, “I really like that nobody says, ‘Find somebody really famous.’ If you look at our casts, you can see that there are definitely people who wouldn’t necessarily be known.”
She also noted that actors tend to commit one major faux pas in the audition room or via self-tape. “We want people’s natural voices,” Lyon said, emphasizing the fact that Pixar’s projects don’t always require the same vocal gymnastics as Saturday morning cartoons and video games. “For the larger voiceover world, I know that it’s about being able to do a bunch of different voices; so it’s interesting, because the standard demos don’t really work for us,” she added. “We still need people who can do great things with their voice, [but] one thing that I wish for when we [get] demos is that people would speak a little bit with their natural voice.”
Hidalgo agreed with this, telling us, “I typically don’t like somebody to put on a silly voice, because the projects that I’m working on tend to not want that. Sometimes people think with animation that they have to do a ‘Ren & Stimpy’ kind of weird voice, but no. Just do what you’re good at.”
When it comes to her casting process, Hidalgo turns to the experts first. “I contact all of the voiceover agents I have really good relationships with and I say, ‘We’re looking for this character. Could you audition your actors?’ That’s the first step. So [I’ll get] a lot of self-records, or sometimes those actors will go into the agency and go to a booth. At that phase, it doesn’t matter,” she explained. “And then what I’ll do is I’ll listen to [the tapes], and if there’s something that I like, I’ll pull those actors out. Then we whittle it down to smaller groups, and we’ll have callbacks in person with the creatives and me. If that’s good, we whittle it down even more. And either we find the person or we whittle it down completely to a couple of people, and then maybe have another audition. But it always starts with the agents. That’s why it’s a lot of numbers.”
As you prepare, check out these guides on how to ace your voiceover audition:
We can confirm there are at least four Pixar movies on everyone’s radar right now: “Elio” is in postproduction and expected to hit theaters this June; “Hoppers” (set for March 2026) and “Toy Story 5” (June 2026) are both in preproduction; and “The Incredibles 3” is currently in development with no release date as of now.
Stay tuned for updates on what’s to come from Disney’s Pixar Animation Studios!
“Toy Story 5” concept art
Though there aren’t any open casting calls for Pixar movies at the moment, the animation studio was searching for two voice actors who could authentically portray Romani characters for an upcoming feature film as recently as October 2024. On X, user Cosmic Marvel provided details regarding the two roles: a 17-year-old female musician and a 70-year-old male musician. So, we recommend keeping an eye on the social media sites you frequent.
We also suggest bookmarking our main casting page of Disney-related opportunities or checking out our in-depth guide on how to audition for Disney for more advice.
Remember you’re a work in progress. Though Hunter (Elastigirl, “The Incredibles”) hesitates to offer advice, she did tell us what approach has worked for her in the past: never memorizing a scene. “I liked to carry the script into an audition, because for me, it reminded people that this was not the final performance. I’m still a work in progress. That works for my own psyche. This is what I can do, but that ain’t all!” Hunter said. “And I tended to have my agent put in a preemptive call before I would show up and say, ‘Holly would really love to come in prepared to read.’ So I would enter the room uninterrupted and go into the reading. And then after that I could stick around and chat and meet people. But the first thing I like to do is read. And that was consistent with me. I never wanted to come in and chat first.”
Incorporate your own take on the scene. As Hidalgo told us, voices can begin to run together after a while, so anyone who goes beyond what’s on the page will stand out during the audition. “Sometimes, when I audition actors, they just give me what’s on the page and they don’t dig any deeper. I do like a deeper dig,” she told us. “Read between the lines or do something that just kind of pops away from all the other performances…. I audition a lot of people. It’s nice to hear something that feels like an oddball take on the character or an interesting voice or emotion.”
She added, “If I laugh at the audition because it’s just weird, then I’ll remember [the actor]. I hear so many auditions and everything kind of starts sounding the same until somebody does something really weird or unusual and you just think: Ah, I’ll remember that; even if they’re not right for this, I’ll remember that person.”
Remain open to possibilities. Whether you’re seeking a voice or live-action role, there’s inspiration all around that can influence how you bring a character to life in an audition room and, ultimately, on set. As Angela Bassett (Dorothea, “Soul”) shared, simply going out into the world can add new dimensions to your creativity. “The answer, or inspiration, comes from where you least expect it,” she told us. “From just passing someone on the street, and there’s something about their walk, their talk… It’s being observant of human nature. And then, of course, your own experiences are very helpful, too—sense memory, the things you’ve encountered in your own life. Reading, seeing theater, being inspired by others and their work, so that you’re open and fearless—fearless about choices.”
