The man behind Gary Walsh, Forky, and Buster Bluth has a few words of wisdom about voice work.

I attended a special AOL Build program, where Tony Hale was discussing about his new Netflix animated series “Archibald’s Next Big Thing.” The show is based a book he and Tony Biaggne wrote: about a chicken looking for his place in the world.

Hale is best known for his hit television shows: “Arrested Development” and “Veep.” The latter of which won his 2 Emmys. He’s also made a number of movies, like “Stranger Than Fiction,” “The Heat,” “Transformers: The Last Knight,” “Love Simon,” and “The 15:17 to Paris.” And currently, he’s the beloved voice of Forky in “Toy Story 4.”

I was fortunate enough to ask him a question in regards to voice acting.

CJ: “When it comes to voice acting, is it different in shows and movies vs this show?”

TH: “I think. I don’t know if there is much of a difference, because you want to bring the same energy and kind of honesty to a voice, as I do with this as I did with “Toy Story.” So, I don’t know if there is. I’ve kind of relate it to the difference between TV and film, like people say it different. But it’s like for me both have to come from a place of honesty. You know, so not really.”

Animation, regardless of what some cynics might say, is relatable to people in almost all walks of life. They resonate with the reality and emotions, and they take many great risks. As a matter of fact, in “Brittany Runs a Marathon,” the Utkarsh Ambudkar character Jern explains how animation are vibrant, bold, and inventive. I can easily relate to that opinion, because most of the time, it’s true.

Actors (from TV, movies, or the internet) have their own aspects on it, which is why I ask this sort of question sometimes. When I met Idris Elba and Gina Rodriguez in respective time periods, the former explains, as a first timer (“Zootopia,” “The Jungle Book”), he would like to discipline himself, and the latter explains that it’s all about the diversity of voice acting (“The Star,” “Ferdinand,” “Smallfoot”).

In “Toy Story 4,” Hale was so wonderful as Forky (the best supporting character of his kind since Olaf in “Frozen”), that he deserves some credit for helping bring his voice to life. And don’t get me started on how hilarious the post credit scene with him is. He’s also had other animated projects like “The Angry Birds Movie” or “The Tale of Desperaux,” and even a few guest voices on “Star vs. The Forces of Evil” and “Rick and Morty.” But none of them could compare to this fascinating toy spork.

Categories: Q&A