Tom Hanks’ lookalike brother Jim reveals he ALSO voices Woody as he opens up about Toy Story role he’s had for decades

‘Reach for the sky’ and ‘there’s a snake in my boot’ are some of the most iconic phrases in cinema history.

But Toy Story fans will be surprised to learn that the lines made famous by Tom Hanks’ character Woody aren’t always actually voiced by him.

Instead, Tom’s younger brother Jim lent his voice to the role, filling in for his Hollywood star brother in recording Woody’s lines for various side projects and products.

Jim, 65, bears a striking resemblance to his older brother, both physically and aurally, making him the perfect stand-in for when Tom isn’t available to film.

The voice actor started his career in B-movies and told The Daily Mail that Pixar and Disney came up with a cunning plan when they tried to entice Tom for recording sessions before the 1995 film’s release.

“Tom had a very busy schedule, so they reached out to me,” Jim explained. ‘I had been doing voiceovers for a while and I think everyone knew I looked like her!

‘They brought me in and I did the classic string toy lines, ‘you’re my favorite sidekick’ and all that, and I did it pretty well.’

Jim has been involved in many projects, including recording lines for Woody toys sold worldwide and doing voice-over work for recordings at global theme parks.

Since then, Jim has been involved in many projects, including recording lines for Woody toys sold worldwide and doing voice-over work for recordings at global theme parks.

It’s not just Jim’s voice that Tom Hanks fans will recognize, as he’s also stepped into his brother’s shoes in film projects.

Although Tom’s Oscar-winning role in 1994’s Forrest Gump required a lot of running to nail the character’s cross-country marathon, it was Jim who recorded the sprints.

‘I was kicked out Jim remembered going to different places to do the stupid run. ‘There was only one place Tom was on set with me, and that was in Vermont.

‘And the only reason was because there was a shot of him running towards the camera, you could see who it was. But in all the other things where you can’t see his face, he’s mine!’

Although Jim appeared in projects as Tom, they never shot any scenes together, which Jim said he would love to do.

However, directing him would be an entirely different matter as Jim, who has produced and filmed many shorts, rejected the idea of ​​casting Tom in a project, joking that it would be a struggle to get him out of the trailer.

For now, Jim is content to just record Tom’s lines.

But this week Tom expressed his fear that one day voice actors will not be needed for Toy Story at all and producers will make a new movie with artificial intelligence.

Jim has partnered with ODEON for the Play Them Forward campaign, a nationwide toy donation initiative

The Cast Away star explained: ‘Every word we recorded back in Toy Story is somewhere on digital media, so they can put together anything they want… it’s a scary thought.’

It’s a fear Jim shares, but he’s confident it won’t happen anytime soon.

‘I worry about how many people might become unemployed, but I don’t think the AI ​​voices are quite enough at this point. They can’t read everything quite right and I hope it stays that way.

‘I hope it will be a place where people will always want to hear a real voice because there’s something missing from the AI ​​voice but it knows 10 years from now.

‘You hear all this deepfake stuff and everything. ‘It’s scary to think about what could happen in a few years.’

The voice actor started his career in B-movies and told The Daily Mail that Pixar and Disney came up with a cunning plan when they had trouble convincing Tom for recording sessions ahead of the 1995 film’s release (Jim pictured at the Toy Story 5 premiere)

Although Tom’s Oscar-winning role in 1994’s Forrest Gump (pictured) required a lot of running to capture the character’s cross-country marathon, it was Jim who recorded most of the footage.

Considering there have been calls for Toy Story 6 following the rave reviews for the fifth film, it’s certainly not something Hanks’ siblings would want to see become a reality any time soon either.

While Jim explained that he was unaware of any plans to continue the series, he thought that after Toy Story 5 dealt with the threat electronic tablets pose to the toy industry, the sixth film could deal with the threat of artificial intelligence if it continues to evolve.

Jim continues to encourage children to play with toys instead of tablets by partnering with ODEON for the Play Them Forward campaign, a nationwide toy donation initiative.

With nearly half a billion unused toys currently in UK homes, the Play Them Forward initiative encourages families to donate their pre-loved toys at 32 participating ODEON locations.

Jim shared: ‘I grew up with toys that I really loved, they were kind of They stopped getting the love they deserved. That’s why they’re great to pass on and a little boy or girl will continue to love them.

‘I love this idea. It’s kind of like in Toy Story, where Andy gets his toys handed to him. [younger sister] Bonnie!

‘These toys are getting a new life and it’s wonderful. Let’s not just throw them out.’

Visiting families participateIWe invite you to ODEON cinema venues on 27 and 28 June 2026 to donate a pre-loved toy in good condition to the collection point in the cinema foyer.

All toys are collected, evaluated and given a second life through a network of approved delivery partners.