10 Things You May Not Know About Jessie

1. Thank You Nancy!

We can thank John Lasseter’s wife Nancy for the introduction of Jessie in Toy Story 2. She felt that the film should have a strong female character, and that led to the creation of Jessie.

2. So Who Does Jessie Actually Belong To?

Speaking of female characters, Jessie is the only female toy who belongs solely to Andy. What about Barbie, Bo Peep, and Mrs. Potato Head? They actually belong to Andy’s sister Molly!

3. Señorita Cactus??

But she wasn’t always going to be a cowgirl. Surprisingly, the character was originally going to be a cactus named Señorita Cactus! Eventually though, it was decided that she would be a cowgirl named…

4. Andy’s Nickname

Bazooka Jane? Well, that’s what Andy calls her in Toy Story 2. However, in Toy Story 3, Andy introduces her to Bonnie using her real name. Ah, the fun of make believe! (Take that Evil Dr. Porkchop!)

5. The Voice of Jessie

Jessie was voiced by Joan Cusack, who also performed the voice of Abby Mallard in Chicken Little. Joan beat out a large group of talented actresses including Holly Hunter, Jamie Lee Curtis, Sarah Jessica Parker, Jodie Foster, Geena Davis, and Madonna to win the role of Abby. Cusack also played Milo’s mother in the 2011 film Mars Need Moms.

6. Her Signature Call

Jessie’s famous “Yodel-a-hee-hoo!” was provided by voice actress Mary Kay Bergman, who also played the “Woody’s Roundup” version of Jessie in Toy Story 2. Sadly, Bergman passed away just before Toy Story 2 was released, and the film was dedicated to her.

7. What Are the Chances?

When Jessie first meets Woody, she exclaims, “Sweet mother of Abraham Lincoln!” In an eerie coincidence, Tom Hanks (who of course played Woody), is a distant relative of Abraham Lincoln’s mother. It turns out that Tom Hanks is the third cousin four times removed of Lincoln’s mother, Nancy Hanks.

8. That’s Scary!

In Monsters Inc., you can spot Jessie as one of the toys that Boo gives to Sulley. (You’ll also spot Nemo and the Luxo Ball in the same scene.)

9. A Cowgirl of Honor!

In October 2000, Jessie received the Patsy Montana Entertainer Award from the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame. Here she is (along with Bullseye) giving her acceptance speech. Yodel-a-hee-hoo indeed!

10. Did Andy’s Mother Own Jessie?

In recent years, a fan theory started to float around that Jessie used to belong to Andy’s mother! How’s that? Well, it all began when someone noticed that Andy’s cowboy hat was noticeably different from Woody’s. Unlike Woody’s plain brown hat, Andy’s hat is reddish with white trimmings…which more closely resembles Jessie’s hat. In the flashback of Jessie’s backstory in Toy Story 2, we see that Emily, Jessie’s owner, has a hat similar to Jessie’s. The story goes that Emily grew up to be Andy’s mom, and the hat that Andy is wearing is the same one that his mother had as a young child. But is it true? According to Pete Docter (Head Animator of Toy Story), “You know, John Lasseter was the director on that, and we talked for hours about backstory – and we have our own kind of backstory that’s a little different than that.” So even though it makes for a nice tale, the story turns out not to be true. Or does it? Docter went on to say, “The interesting thing is that we’re now on Toy Story 4, and…it just seems to be a very evergreen kind of story and a lot of stuff just keeps bubbling up, so it’s very interesting.” Hmmm…