Conan O’Brien’s been on quite the professional run in 2025, including hosting the Academy Awards, receiving the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, and his Max subscription-exclusive series Conan O’Brien Must Go returning for Season 2. Now he can add a new entry onto his growing list of accomplishments: voicing a Pixar character. O’Brien has revealed that he’ll be voicing a character in next year’s Toy Story 5, and not content to just share who he’s playing, he also dropped some fantastic jokes about Tom Hanks and Tim Allen in the process.
The former talk show host shared the big news on Instagram and was clearly excited about this, calling Toy Story a “legendary franchise” and describing the movies as “amazing.” But in classic Conan fashion, he couldn’t resist joking about the roles he wish he’d snagged instead for the upcoming Pixar movie:
Initially, I wanted the role of Woody, and they told me that they already promised that to Tom Hanks. And I was like, ‘You kind of been there and done that. You know, you’re in a bit of a rut, don’t you think?’ And they said, ‘No, it’s Tom Hanks. It’s his role.’ So I said, ‘Ok, how about Buzz Lightyear?’ And I said, ‘Let me guess, Tim Allen.’ And they were like, ‘Yeah, Tim Allen.’ And I went ‘Guys, you gotta think outside the box.’
As someone who’s watched Conan O’Brien on TV for years and frequently listens to his podcast Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend, I always get a kick out of when he puts on an air of foolish superiority for laughs. Acting as though there was a chance he’d replace either Tom Hanks as Woody or Tim Allen and Buzz Lightyear definitely fits that mold. I mean, sure, I’d listen to O’Brien spout off Woody or Buzz dialogue, but when it comes to the Toy Story movies, Hanks and Allen are always going to be captaining this cast.
After getting the jokes out of the way, Conan O’Brien then shared how he’ll actually be part of Toy Story 5’s cast, saying:
But anyway, then they showed me this new character, Smartypants. It’s the best character of them all. I far prefer this character. I don’t even wanna play Woody or Buzz anymore, even if the beg me. I’m Smartypants. I love this!
Yes, this is a perfect role for Conan O’Brien when combining that superiority act with his own impressive intelligence. I can’t wait to hear Smartypants correct Woody, Buzz and everyone else as often as possible and annoy everyone acting as a know-it-all. O’Brien previously voiced The Riddler in The LEGO Batman Movie, and his A24 movie If I Had Legs I’d Kick You premiered at Sundance in January, though there’s no word when it will be released to the public.
Conan O’Brien is the third new actor to come aboard Toy Story 5, following Anna Paris in an undisclosed role and Ernie Hudson taking over as Combat Carl from the late Carl Weathers. The movie, which will see Woody, Buzz and the rest of the gang grappling with technology’s increasing hold on children’s playtime, hits theaters on June 19, 2026.
