Greta Lee (The Morning Show) had an emotional first reaction to Toy Story 5. The actress, who voices the frog-shaped tablet Lilypad in the new Pixar film, said she cried repeatedly when she first saw the movie. Making matters more intense, she was watching alongside co-stars Tim Allen and Joan Cusack.
“I cried, like, 600 times,” Lee told Harper’s Bazaar UK. “It was so embarrassing, because it was the first time I’d met Tim and Joan. Tom Hanks wasn’t there, thank God.”
Lee plays Lilypad, a new device that disrupts Bonnie’s life as the child becomes increasingly absorbed in technology. The character serves as the film’s antagonist, placing the toys in direct conflict with a smart tablet and its ideas about playtime.
Lee said the role was not what she expected when the offer arrived. “I assumed I would come in for the day and read the part of, say, Forky’s daughter, but no,” she said. “The email arrived with a rendering of Lilypad, and it said ‘Villain.’”
The actress said she was drawn to the character’s confidence, even though Lilypad’s certainty is part of the problem. “I like playing interesting people, and devices, who are very sure-footed in what they want, even if they’re wrong,” Lee noted. “I like the idea that Lilypad is a self-proclaimed expert on everything. We all know people like that.”
For Lee, Toy Story 5 carries real weight because of its focus on how technology has changed childhood. The film explores what happens when toys have to compete with screens for a child’s attention. “The fact that children are no longer playing with toys feels extremely resonant and urgent,” Lee said. “It’s funny to say this of a Toy Story movie, but I think this is one of the most important works of film that I’ve ever done. I’m so pleased my kids will see it.”
Lee, who shares sons Apollo and Raphael with her husband, Russ Armstrong, said she tries to limit her children’s screen time at home. “They’re only allowed devices at the weekend,” she continued, adding that getting children away from screens is not easy.
In addition to Toy Story 5, Lee has explored the impact of technology through roles in The Morning Show and Tron: Ares. She also expressed concern about artificial intelligence and the speed at which technology is changing everyday life.
“We need to regulate AI,” Lee shared. “We should be very, very concerned. Part of me wants to move to an island with nothing but a rope and a bucket, and just call it a day.”
Toy Story 5 brings back Woody, Buzz, Jessie and the rest of Pixar’s beloved toy box for a new story centered on play, connection and the pressure screens place on childhood imagination.
The July and August issue of Harper’s Bazaar UK went on sale June 18.
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