Toy Story 5 has us all in our childhood feels! The new film, which combines the nostalgia, humor and storytelling of the first four installments, is out now in theaters! We chatted exclusively with Mykal-Michelle Harris who voices the animal-loving new character Blake.
Mykal reveals her unique get ready with me routine for the sound booth, her experience attending the premiere, and the most memorable take-aways from the project.
Toy Story 5 brings us back to Woody, Buzz, Jessie and the rest of the gang as they face their biggest threat yet: electronics. Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, and Joan Cusack all reprise their roles and are joined by new additions including Mykal, who voices Blaze, an 8-year old who loves animals.
Mykal is no stranger to the entertainment world and she’s even an Emmy winner! She’s had roles in Mixed-ish, Raven’s Home and voicing the titular character in Ariel. She also grew up on the Toy Story movies, which made it that much more of a dream come true to be a part of the Pixar family.
After having attended the premiere, Mykal said the most surreal part was getting to see Taylor Swift and Randy Newman perform “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” together. Talk about a once in a lifetime moment!
“I got to see Taylor Swift at the premiere which was a once in a lifetime opportunity.”
It’s been seven years since Toy Story 4 was released and Mykal said the fifth movie is a really important part of the story, as all the characters and toys are starting to come into themselves and find their personalities. Blaze especially is learning to value herself and not care as much about what others think.
“Something fans will adore is how much everyone is coming into themselves.”
Preparing to record in the soundbooth is much different than going onto a set, and Mykal revealed her fun quirky habit that she’s always had in the soundbooth: she can’t wear sneakers! She also loves listening to music on the way to recording and uses her body and movement while voicing to help bring life into her character.
“I cannot record animation with shoes on.”
Mykal said getting to work with director Andrew Stanton and storyboard artist Kenna Harris was the most memorable part of the entire experience. She said while it is often rare for voice actors to get to adlib and improvise their lines, Andrew and Kenna gave her and the rest of the cast a lot of freedom with their characters, which allowed everyone to personalize the experience.
“I was really allowed to be able to play with the lines.”
Thank you, Mykal, for chatting with Young Entertainment! Make sure to follow her on her Instagram at @mykalscorner. Be sure to watch or listen depending on how you’re following us.
Consider this:
- Prepping for a sound booth session as a voice actor involves more than just warming up your voice. It is important to stretch and optimize physical energy, make sure you are comfortable in the clothes you are wearing, hydrate, and also find a pre-recording “warmup” that works for you.
