Amy Poehler is one of the brightest stars in Hollywood today. Between her portrayal of Leslie Knope on Parks and Recreation and as Joy in the Inside Out franchise, the actor is a ball of sunshine. With the big-feeling Pixar sequel being one of the greater successes on our 2024 movie schedule, it’s undeniable how instrumental this story is to many, including Poehler. She shared that this franchise, and some of the best Pixar movies, have ‘fundamentally changed’ her life for the better.
The Saturday Night Live alum sat down with People to talk about the franchise and how much it’s meant to her to play the most positive element within the main human character, Riley. Specifically, she discussed how diving into the bigger conversations regarding emotions and dealing with them in typical ways has been a touchstone in her career (and beyond). She shared:
My experience in Inside Out and Inside Out 2 has truly, fundamentally changed my life. Playing a character like Joy, having big conversations about what our emotions do to us and how they live in us and how we’re supposed to experience them.
It’s undeniable that the series doesn’t shy away from the emotional complexities of growing up and what it is to be human, in general. After it won big at the box office, some say that the sequel is better than the original, and the Wine Country star agrees.
She went on to share that the decade between the original and the sequel changed things drastically in the social-emotional-mental health landscapes. Along with this, she believes it’s important to adapt to the times to best serve the needs of those with mental illness, and learning from younger generations is key.
That and watching how different the past decade has been in terms of not only the resources we need, the conversations we need to have, but who we need to have them with. Tonight is filled with young people, and I think we have a lot to learn from them.
The Mean Girls alum has always been a source of light but the franchise does seem like it’s rooted her in a really positive way. Just the way she talks about actively advocating for the need for resources, the important conversations and who those chats need to be with seem poignant and intentional is inspiring. Perhaps Poehler will have more time with Joy since a threequel isn’t out of the question for Inside Out 2’s director.
It’s undeniable from the interviews with the cast that this movie is something special to everyone behind the scenes, too. For me personally, I’ll always welcome a Baby Mama alum led ensemble of any form.
I’m glad that Poehler has had this experience with the Pixar box office smash. I don’t think there’s anyone else that could’ve done right by Joy like she has. It’s even better to know just how much the fictitious ray of sunshine has fundamentally changed the Blades of Glory alum’s life.
You’ll need a Disney subscription if you’d like to stream the Inside Out franchise, including the upcoming series Dream Productions.