Inside Out Cast & Voice Actors: Who Voices Joy, Anger, Riley, and the New Emotions

Key Takeaways:

Ever wonder what it would sound like if Amy Poehler threw a tantrum or Lewis Black tried to stay positive? Pixar's Inside Out films are fun. Comedy legends and rising stars bring Riley's emotions to life.

Think about it: We all have that friend who's always cheerful (that's Joy). Then there's the one who finds fault with everything (hello, Disgust). And don’t forget the person who explodes over small annoyances (yes, Anger).

The genius of Inside Out isn’t just in how it visualizes emotions - it’s in how the Inside Out characters, voiced by a perfectly chosen cast, feel instantly recognizable and deeply human.

Amy Poehler brings joy with her infectious optimism. Lewis Black delivers laughter with his volcanic outbursts as Anger. Each member of the Inside Out cast doesn’t just read lines; they fully embody the Inside Out characters, transforming abstract emotions into personalities we all recognize in ourselves.

With Inside Out 2 introducing new emotions like Anxiety and Embarrassment, the roster of Inside Out characters expanded, giving the voice cast an even bigger challenge: convincing us that these animated characters truly live inside our heads.

But here's the twist: you might be surprised to learn that finding the perfect voice for an animated emotion is far from easy, and a few of these casting choices almost didn't happen.

Inside Out Voice Actors and Character Spotlight

Similar to Toy Story, Pixar's Inside Out series highlights that selecting the right voice is key. Now, exploring AI dubbing can also shape how audiences relate to animated characters.

What is AI dubbing? It uses artificial intelligence to translate and replace audio in videos, mimicking the original actor’s voice while preserving their tone, emotions, and speech patterns.

With that in mind, let’s take a closer look at the key Inside Out characters - and answer a common fan question: how many Inside Out characters are there?

1. Riley Andersen

Voice Actors: Kaitlyn Dias (Inside Out), Kensington Tallman (Inside Out 2)

About Riley:

Riley is at the center of the story in both movies. In Inside Out, she’s your typical 11-year-old who’s taking her time to adjust to a new city. She starts school in San Francisco and explores being a hockey player. That’s where different and new emotions start bubbling in her young mind.

In Inside Out 2, she’s 13. Riley's parents help her with the challenges of growing up. They guide her through friendships and finding herself.

About Riley Andersen's Voice Actors:

Inside Out

Riley Andersen was voiced by Kaitlyn Dias, who was 11 years old at the time of production. As she underwent puberty, her voice dropped during dubbing, and she had to adjust it to sound younger.

Inside Out 2

In the sequel, Dias was replaced by Kensington Tallman, as only an actress matching the character’s age could be hired. Apart from Inside Out 2, Tallman has appeared in shows such as Drama Club and That Girl Lay Lay.

2. Joy

Voice Actor: Amy Poehler

About Joy:

Joy is a protagonist of sorts, the always-optimistic leader among Riley’s emotions. She’s always aiming to keep Riley happy, sometimes to a fault. Her persistent efforts cause conflict with other emotions, particularly Sadness and Anxiety.

In the end, Riley realizes that Joy is only one part of the picture, and that true happiness comes from a healthy balance of all emotions.

About Amy Poehler:

Best known for her work on Saturday Night Live, Mean Girls, Baby Mama, and Parks and Recreation, Amy Poehler is a name to reckon with in the comedy genre. Her energetic performance brings Joy to life, making the character both endearing and relatable.

3. Sadness

Voice Actor: Phyllis Smith

About Sadness:

Sadness may seem like the quietest of Riley’s emotions, but it proves essential in helping her face life’s harder moments. In the first film’s strong ending, one of Pixar’s most touching moments, Sadness changes Joy’s core memories. This helps Riley face her grief and share with her parents how much she misses Minnesota.

About Phyllis Smith:

Phyllis Smith is best known for her deadpan humor, but acting wasn’t always her path. She began her career as a casting associate before stepping into the spotlight as Phyllis on The Office.

Her signature straight-faced delivery on the show, along with her role in 2011’s Bad Teacher, caught Pixar’s attention. People Magazine says those performances helped her get the role of Sadness in Inside Out. Her subtle style was a perfect fit for one of Pixar’s favorite characters.

4. Fear

Voice Actors: Bill Hader (Inside Out), Tony Hale (Inside Out 2)

About Fear:

As one would expect, Fear is always on high alert, trying to keep Riley safe from potential dangers. Fear is always on the edge, easily perturbed, and often makes dramatic suggestions to help Riley avoid dangerous situations.

About the Voice Actors:

Inside Out

Bill Hader, known for Saturday Night Live, voiced Fear in the first film.

Inside Out 2

In the sequel, Tony Hale took over the voice acting role for Fear. Hale is known for his comic timing. He played Buster Bluth in Arrested Development and Gary Walsh in Veep. He also voiced the always-confused spork toy Forky in Disney-Pixar’s Toy Story 4.

5. Anger

Voice Actor: Lewis Black

About Anger:

Anger is my favorite character, especially in the first movie. He is quick to react, especially when things seem unfair, ensuring Riley stands up for herself. He gives rise to feelings of rage, irritation, and frustration, and has a tendency to be rude, aggressive, defensive, and resentful.

As such, he’s highly protective of Riley and passionate about the things she should have and how they should be for her.

About Lewis Black:

Black is a stand-up comedian. He often rants about politics and everyday life. This makes him a great match for Anger’s explosive personality.

In 2015, Den of Geek interviewed Black about how the movie helped him realize that his anger is driven by the desire for fairness and justice.

6 Disgust

Voice Actors: Mindy Kaling (Inside Out), Liza Lapira (Inside Out 2)

About Disgust:

The green emotion Disgust helps Riley avoid things she finds repulsive, from bad food to social faux pas. Disgust typically expresses herself through highly sarcastic comments and eyerolls. She’s always confident, but can also be rude and dismissive. However, her intentions are always in Riley’s best interests.

About the Voice Actors:

Inside Out

Mindy Kaling, best known for her work in The Office and lead role in The Mindy Project, voiced Disgust in the original film.

Inside Out 2

Liza Lapira replaced Mindy in the sequel. Lapira is recognized for roles in Fast & Furious, NCIS, Dexter, and The Equalizer. She’s also played supporting roles in Cloverfield and Crazy, Stupid, Love.

7. Anxiety

Voice Actor: Maya Hawke

About Anxiety:

Introduced as a new emotion in Inside Out 2, Anxiety represents Riley’s worries about the future, often overwhelming her with “what ifs.”

Orange-colored Anxiety is a “sophisticated emotion.” It attacks Riley’s mind when she faces a tough time: starting high school.

About Maya Hawke:

Maya Hawke is best known for her role as Robin in Stranger Things. Other than that, she has recently performed supporting roles in Wes Anderson’s Asteroid City and Bradley Cooper’s Oscar-nominated Maestro.

8. Embarrassment

Voice Actor: Paul Walter Hauser

About Embarrassment:

Another new emotion, Embarrassment, is physically bulky and strong, but is pretty shy and often hides behind other emotions. He reflects Riley’s self-conscious, socially awkward, and angsty moments during adolescence.

The pink-colored new emotion may symbolize sweetness, shyness, compassion, and naiveté. These traits are key parts of Riley’s personality.

About Paul Walter Hauser:

Paul Walter Hauser has appeared in films like I, Tonya and Richard Jewell. He recently starred as a voice actor in DreamWorks’ animated film Orion and the Dark, and has an upcoming role in The Fantastic Four.

Other notable characters in the Inside Out franchise include Envy, played by Ayo Edebiri; Ennui, played by Adèle Exarchopoulos; Nostalgia, played by June Squibb; Mrs. Andersen, or Riley’s Mother, played by Diane Lane; and Mr. Andersen, or Riley’s Father, played by Kyle MacLachlan.

Inside Out 2 made a huge impact. It grossed over $1.6 billion worldwide in 2024. This made it Pixar's highest-grossing film ever. This success shows how well the voice actors connected with audiences worldwide. Their performances drove strong emotions and boosted box office sales.

Inside Out Behind-the-Scenes: Voice Acting Process

Amy Poehler and Maya Hawke Discuss Voice Acting and Pixar

In this interview, Amy Poehler (Joy) and Maya Hawke (Anxiety) share their thoughts on voicing emotions in Inside Out 2. They share stories about bonding with their characters. They discuss how to express complex emotions through voice acting. The talk also highlights the teamwork at Pixar. It shows how the creative team guides actors to deliver genuine performances.

Watch here: Amy Poehler And Maya Hawke Discuss Voice Acting and Pixar!

Tony Hale and Liza Lapira on Voice Acting and Pixar Magic

Tony Hale (Fear) and Liza Lapira (Disgust) talk about stepping into their roles in Inside Out 2. They discuss the challenges of matching the emotional depth of the original characters while adding their unique touches.

Watch here: Tony Hale and Liza Lapira on Voice Acting and Pixar Magic

Explore AI-Powered Dubbing with Murf

Murf AI brings you Murf Dub, your go-to video & voice dubbing tool when you want to produce high-quality, context-aware voiceovers. 

In animation, voice acting is everything, especially when context drives emotion. Inside Out proves how tone, timing, and delivery can add meaning to every spoken word. But capturing that same nuance across languages and characters? That’s where Murf AI shines. 

While Murf Dub doesn’t offer exact voice replicas, users can enjoy crafting similar-sounding voices for fun, fan content, or creative projects like AI dubbing in video gaming.

Murf AI can mimic different voice styles. This lets fans, gamers, voice actors, and podcasters dub scenes. They can also create their own voiceovers for characters and fanfiction.

Here are some undeniable benefits of our video dubbing tool.

• Create high-quality dubbing in 40+ languages in minimal time
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• Have every word and phrase in your dubbings reviewed by native speakers
• Avoid the delays and limitations of traditional voiceover work
• Make your animation easier, faster, more realistic and cost-effective with Murf’s  character voice generator 

Murf Dub combines AI and human expertise in dubbing, allowing you to leverage the best of both worlds. The best part? While you extend your content’s reach globally, our tool ensures the original essence of your video is preserved. It delivers your dubbed content fast, ensuring top-notch quality every time.

Also, our security framework protects your data with SOC 2, GDPR compliance, and ISO certification. So if you’re asking yourself “Is dubbing AI safe?” rest assured that with Murf, AI dubbing future is in good hands!

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