The Actor Who Voiced Forky In Toy Story 4 Might Surprise You

Given the heartbreaking and ultimately heartwarming final moments of 2010's "Toy Story 3," nobody really expected to see another "Toy Story" movie. As such, the release of "Toy Story 4" almost a decade later was indeed a bit of surprise. Less surprising was that the fourth time around for the franchise proved every bit as bold, fresh, and utterly delightful as its predecessors. "Toy Story 4" was as beloved by critics (per Rotten Tomatoes) as it was the moviegoing public (per Box Office Mojo).

Of course, part of what's kept the "Toy Story" franchise fresh over the years is the ability to bring new toy faces into the fold. While the fourth film in the "Toy Story" narrative saw the return of Woody (Tom Hanks), Buzz (Tim Allen), and many of their plucky toy pals, some of the new toys on the block —  like Duke Caboom (Keanu Reeves) and Gabby Gabby (Christina Hendricks) — very nearly stole the show from those icons. That list absolutely includes Forky, the hand-made spork toy who becomes embroiled in an existential crisis even as he becomes the favorite plaything of young Bonnie (Madeleine McGraw). Forky became an instant favorite for "Toy Story" fans as well, and the actor who brought the character to such vivid life in the film might surprise you.

That actor who voiced Forky in "Toy Story 4" is none other than Tony Hale. Hale is a two-time Emmy winner who's become one of the premier comedic talents in television. Hale's ascension to that status began back in 2003 when he joined the cast of "Arrested Development." The series originally ran for three seasons on Fox and became a cult sensation in the wake of its cancellation, before Netflix revived it for the streaming realm in 2013. Hale was one of the show's many breakout stars, portraying the man-child with serious mommy issues, Buster Bluth, in all five seasons.

Hale followed that breakout with a brief, but hilarious arc on NBC's spy comedy "Chuck," and a scene-stealing turn on Netflix's "A Series of Unfortunate Events." He's perhaps best known, however, for his seven-season run as "body man" to Julia Louis Dreyfus' eventual United States President Selina Meyer on HBO's hit political comedy "Veep" — a performance that earned him two Emmys for best supporting actor in a comedy series. Hale most recently starred in two roles in Disney+'s adaptation of "The Mysterious Benedict Society." 

If you've seen Hale at work in any of those projects, you know he was particularly well-suited to voice a once garbage-bound spork turned toy with an identity crisis. "Toy Story 4" was also far from Hale's first animated venture, with the actor having voiced characters in "Rick & Morty," "Animals," and "The Angry Birds Movie" prior to voicing Forky — though his "Toy Story 4" voice work remains arguably his best to date.