Don Rickles gave Mr. Potato Head his voice for 25 years — his sarcastic, fast-talking New York energy was so specific to the character that it was impossible to imagine anyone else doing it. When Rickles passed away in 2017 at 90, Pixar pulled off something remarkable for Toy Story 4: they reconstructed his performance from archived recordings, outtakes, and even video game lines, so the beloved grump could still show up in 2019. But Toy Story 5 is a full feature film with new plot demands, and that approach could only go so far. Pixar made a call — and the franchise has a new voice for its grumpiest toy.
The Last Gift: How Pixar Brought Rickles Back for Toy Story 4
By the time Toy Story 4 entered production, Rickles had been gone for two years. Rather than recast or quietly sideline the character, Pixar’s sound team — with the blessing of Rickles’ family — spent months combing through 25 years of archived material: outtakes from the films, promotional recordings, and dialogue from video game sessions. Piece by piece, they stitched together a performance. The 2019 film was ultimately dedicated to his memory.
It worked as a tribute because it was designed as one. A few assembled lines, a familiar voice filling a few scenes — that’s emotionally sustainable. A brand-new feature film is a different problem entirely. Toy Story 5 needs Mr. Potato Head to react to a completely new story, improvise within fresh plot dynamics, and carry scenes that didn’t exist when Rickles was alive. You can’t build that from a vault, no matter how deep it is. So Pixar did what the franchise has always done when it loses a voice: it found the right person to carry the character forward, much like what happened when Pixar handled other iconic legacy roles in animation.
Jeff Bergman and Anna Vocino: The New Voices Taking Over
The actor stepping into Rickles’ shoes is Jeff Bergman — and if anyone understands the weight of replacing a legend, it’s him. Bergman has spent decades doing exactly this. After Mel Blanc passed in 1989, Bergman became the primary voice of Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, and other Looney Tunes icons. When Alan Reed died, Bergman took over Fred Flintstone. He doesn’t mimic; he channels. That’s the skill set Pixar needed — someone who can capture the gruff, rapid-fire New York energy Rickles perfected without turning it into an impression that reminds you of what’s missing.
Mr. Potato Head isn’t the only recast. Estelle Harris, who voiced Mrs. Potato Head across the original trilogy and beyond, passed away in 2022. Her replacement for Toy Story 5 is voice actress Anna Vocino. Together, Bergman and Vocino will give the Potato Heads a new chapter — and the film itself a new dilemma: Bonnie, the kid now caring for all the toys, has become completely absorbed by tablets and electronics, leaving Buzz, Woody, Jessie, and the rest of the gang wondering what “playtime” even means anymore.
Recasting is never a clean decision. It asks audiences to accept a different voice coming from the same face — or in this case, the same plastic body with detachable ears. But the alternative, retiring Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head entirely, would erase two of the franchise’s most specific personalities. Pixar is betting on continuity over purity, and given what Bergman has done with other untouchable characters, that bet isn’t unreasonable.
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