Tony Hale & Toy Story 4’s Forky Are Overwhelmed
As Toy Story 4 continues to chug along, reaction to its expanded cast of characters has been overwhelmingly positive. Which makes sense, because Tony Hale — the actor behind Forky — the fourth instalment’s breakout beloved spork — remains overloaded, too.
Speaking to Jessica Rawden of Cinemablend, Hale was asked what was his reaction to being cast in Toy Story 4.
“It’s the same reaction I have now,” he said. “Overwhelmed. I think Forky and I really share that.
“I’m very overwhelmed…” Tony Hale, Actor
“He asks, why am I here,” he said. “I ask, ‘How did I get here and what is happening?'”
Spork-Turned-Toy
Forky, who is often played in a deadpan, provides the MacGuffin for the fourth Toy Story outing, with Woody taking on the mantle of the spork-turned-toy’s protector and mentor.
“I don’t really remember that first meeting [with Pixar] much,” admitted Hale to Cinemablend. “I remember talking through Forky. And I also remember they took clips from Arrested Development and clips from Veep and put in an animated Forky; just to kind of see how he would react.
“And I was like, ‘I love that.'”
And so does the rest of creation. But why?
“Well he has no flexibility – like me,” joked Hale. “We gave that in common.
“But he’s just incredibly simple and gullible. And kind of nervous – that type of thing.
“And that tends to be a through line on the characters I’ve done,” he said.
Unintentional Message?
However, by the end of the film, Forky is no longer a spork with eyes, and that is, in large part, due to Hale and the magic of Pixar animation.
“I think what I am so crazy about, and what Pixar has [done] — not that they had the intention of making a ‘message movie’ — but what came out is that mainly he was thinking he was going to the trash. And Woody come along, and he’s like, ‘You have a greater purpose. You have greater value.’
“And I just love that message.”
So do I, but there’s more Toy Story 4 goodness to be had in the complete video and story.