Joan Cusack had her fans talking after making her first red carpet appearance in more than a decade at the London premiere of Toy Story 5 on May 28.
The beloved actress, best known for voicing Jessie in the Pixar franchise, stepped out alongside her castmates.
While many fans were excited to see the star back in the spotlight, others were stunned by how different she looked.
Highlights
- Joan Cusack made her first red carpet appearance in 11 years at the London premiere of ‘Toy Story 5.’
- The 63-year-old Emmy winner, who reprises her beloved voice role as Jessie, chose a natural look for her return.
- Images of the actress sparked an intense online debate, with many fans praising her decision to age naturally, while others claimed her facial structure looked completely different.
“Aging like a real person and not filled with Botox. I love it. She looks great,” one fan wrote.
Joan Cusack reunited with Toy Story castmates during her first red carpet appearance in 11 years
Image credits: Getty/Karwai Tang
The 63-year-old reprised her role as cowgirl doll Jessie in the upcoming Toy Story 5, which arrives in theaters on June 19, 2026.
For the event, Cusack wore a crisp white button-down shirt tucked into a flowing black maxi skirt. She paired the look with thick black-rimmed glasses and styled her hair in a bob with eyebrow-length bangs.
She posed alongside castmates Tom Hanks and Tim Allen, who returned as Woody and Buzz Lightyear.
She also appeared with writer-director Andrew Stanton, producer Lindsey Collins, and co-stars Greta Lee and Tony Hale. Her husband, Richard Burke, joined her on the carpet as well.
Cusack’s appearance was especially notable because she had largely stayed away from Hollywood events since winning an Emmy in 2015 for her role as Sheila Jackson in Shameless.
As photos from the premiere spread online, many fans praised Cusack’s appearance
Image credits: Getty/Lia Toby
“Can we please move past judging women for aging? She’s in her 60s and still recognizable as herself,” one person wrote.
“I think it's great that she's aging naturally. Go here. If she had a facelift, everyone would be bashing her for doing that. Take your pick, people,” another added.
Others applauded the actress for never altering her appearance to fit Hollywood expectations.
Image credits: Getty/Jason Merritt
“That's wonderful to see a woman like her, no plastic surgery and aging naturally on a red carpet,” one commenter wrote.
“She's great. I like that she never altered her appearance to fit some Hollywood standard. Funny and real speaks for itself,” another fan shared.
Not everyone agreed, however. Some viewers questioned whether the woman in the photos was actually Cusack.
Image credits: Getty/Jon Kopaloff
“Is that really her? Her face looks so different- and I don’t mean just from aging. I mean, it looks like a different shape,” one person commented.
“This honestly does not look like her- only a slight semblance of her. Bone structure looks so different,” another wrote.
Others speculated on the authenticity of the images, with one writing, “I have a huge feeling this is AI.”
Joan Cusack’s years-long absence was spent focusing on family life in Chicago
Image credits: Getty/Ron Galella
While many headlines described the premiere as a comeback, Cusack never completely stepped away from acting.
Instead, she spent much of the decade focusing on family life in Chicago with Burke and their two sons, Dylan John and Miles.
Speaking about her decision to remain based in Chicago rather than Los Angeles, Cusack told The Huffington Post in 2019, “As my kids would say, ‘Chicago is awesome!’ It has rich culture and history, as well as some of the best museums, architecture, and restaurants in the world.”
Image credits: IMDb
She added, “Plus, it prevents our family life from revolving around TV and the movies. In LA, it’s easy to get caught up in what you look like or how much money you have, and those aren’t values I want my kids to adopt.”
During that period, Cusack also continued running her Chicago gift shop, Judy Maxwell Home, which she opened in 2011.
She explained that the business gave her a creative outlet while raising her children.
“My kids were young, and I didn’t really want to take acting work, because I always had to go away,” she told The New Yorker in 2019.
Toy Story 5 will bring Joan Cusack’s Jessie to the center of the story
Image credits: Pixar
Although Woody and Buzz remain key parts of the franchise, Toy Story 5 is expected to focus heavily on Jessie.
In 2025, Allen spoke with WIVB, adding, “I can tell you that it’s a lot about Jessie.”
The film explores how modern technology is changing childhood and how toys compete for attention in an increasingly digital world.
Director Andrew Stanton explained that the toys are facing a new challenge as children become more attached to electronics.
Cusack also spoke about returning to the role she played in 1999’s Toy Story 2.
“I realize that there's a real craft to it. It means you can't use your face and your body, you just have to use your voice,” she told Deadline during the premiere.
Reflecting on her experience recording the new film, she added, “Over the years he pushes you to get it, and I feel like this time I felt like I had the craft for it and I could do it better. And that was just kinda cool.”
The actress also connected with the movie’s central theme as a parent.
“I know every parent in the United States worries about their kids. When do you get them involved in tech? What does that do to their brains?” she said.
“It's about humanity and playing and loyalty — and it makes me cry.”
"Where did her chin go?" asked one netizen
