Interview: Wallace Shawn Says New TOY STORY Is Like FIFTY SHADES OF GREY

It's "inconceivable" to think of all of the memorable roles that Wallace Shawn has played in his career (see what I did there?). From THE PRINCESS BRIDE to CLUELESS to his work with Woody Allen to THE COSBY SHOW to GOSSIP GIRL to TOY STORY, Shawn easily has one of the most recognizable faces, and voices, in Hollywood.

On Tuesday, December 2nd at 8:00pm ET, Shawn rejoins the rest of the TOY STORY crew as loveable dinosaur Rex in TOY STORY THAT TIME FORGOT. During a post-Christmas play date, the TOY STORY gang finds itself in uncharted territory when the coolest set of action figures ever turns out to be dangerously delusional. It's all up to Trixie, the triceratops, to make sure that our favorite toys return to Bonnie's room. For more on this holiday special, check out its official site.

Last week I spoke with Wallace Shawn about the message in this new edition of the beloved series, what's on tap for TOY STORY 4, and what makes Woody's gang so loveable; and I think that some of his answers might surprise you! Oh, and trust me, this interview is much more entertaining if you are able to imagine Shawn's answers in his voice!

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Hi, thank you so much for taking the time to talk to me. It's a pleasure to speak with you. I watched TOY STORY THAT TIME FORGOT and it's a lot of fun. Could you give us a brief summary about what this special is all about?

Well, it's hard to give a brief summary; it's a very elaborate story, but I suppose... how could we summarize it? The toys that we know, belonging to Bonnie now, they, leaving out some of the twists and turns of the story, they find themselves with a group of toys who don't know they're toys and who believe in violence and war and battle.

Quite different from what our normal toys are used to.Yes, I mean, our gang is quite gentle, and we don't solve our problems through violence or glorify violence and battle. But these other toys, first of all, they think they're real; and they don't seem to understand the joy of submission.

It's quite a bit like FIFTY SHADES OF GREY. There's a lot about submission and the pleasure of giving yourself over a master, and in this case, a child.

It was nice to see Rex and Trixie a little more front and center on this one. It was neat to see a story that was from the perspective of some of the other toys, rather than only Buzz and Woody. Was that a surprise to you when you got this script that the focus had moved over to the dinosaurs?

Well, there's a sense in this story that Rex is a little bit unexciting to Trixie, who, in a way, was introduced as a kind of girlfriend. Now, I would say, that I have more of the feeling that Rex is a little older, and Trixie is looking around; maybe for some other creature that would be a little bit more exciting. I mean, Rex is a little conservative, and I think Trixie isn't ready to just crawl back into her box.

She gets interested, let's be honest, in one of the creatures of the violent persuasion, but she tries to, and succeeds actually, in bringing that violent, war-like dinosaur into the more pacific world that we all live in.

You've been a part of the TOY STORY world since the beginning, and next year is the 20th Anniversary of the original movie. What do you think it is about this series, and this group of characters, that continues to resonate with audiences old or young?

I think that it's the same reason why people like to follow any characters. They have a certain charm that is very hard to define. Of course, the animation is unbelievably beautiful. I mean, the skill involved is mind-boggling, but there's a charm about the characters, and also about the situations that the writers have found for them to be put in that tugs peoples' emotions.

They have dealt with important subjects, like the way that people grow up, and they get older, and they change, and they die; and in this case, this short episode deals with war, violence, and a totally different type of life, which is very pleasant and peaceful.

You mentioned the writers, whomever it happens to be on each incarnation, always come up with great situations to put these toys in, and just earlier this month, Disney announced that there would be a TOY STORY 4 coming out In 2017. Have you heard any rumblings about what that story is going to be about?

No. I've heard nothing.

(Laughs) And, I imagine you couldn't tell me even if you had, but I had to ask.

Well, one can't disobey; they'll keep it secret until the last moment, I'd imagine.

I'm sure. Anyone who follows popular culture knows that you have an incredibly eclectic career. From voice-acting to film to TV to writing, but I wondered, when you do voice-acting, perhaps because it is more isolated, or because you have to be bigger to match the animation, do you approach the those roles differently than you would a more traditional live-action role?

In a live-action role, you're a little more capable of looking at the whole script and saying, "This is the most important moment. This is the moment where the character establishes this element."

You can analyze the script in a way, but with the voice work, the director knows what it's going to be, and you don't know it all. You really don't know. And so, they direct in great detail, in a way that could never be done in a feature, because the actors would rebel and throw the director out of the room.

But in the animated features, they have to do it that way, because they're the only ones who know what it's going to look like.

So, you can't analyze the script, and make plans exactly. You just kind of use your imagination, and hope that they will string it all together into something believable.

Well, having seen the screener for this, I think they've done a great job, and, like you said, the animators have created another beautiful, wonderful world for the toys.

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What is your favorite Wallace Shawn role? Let me know in the comments below, or on Twitter @BWWMatt. Also, don't forget to follow @BWWTVWorld on Twitter and Like us on Facebook for all of the latest TV news, reviews, and recaps.

Photo Credit:
1) Wallace Shawn: HBO Films
2) Rex: Disney/Pixar 2014
3) Rex, Buzz Lightyear, Woody, and Trixie: Disney/Pixar 2014
4) Shawn, Robin Wright, and Cary Elwes: 20th Century Fox

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