Before he ever hopped onto the horse, Woody's voice could have belonged to anyone from Clint Eastwood, Robin Williams, or Paul Newman. Toy Story became a landmark in animation, and much of its success rested on Woody, the loyal cowboy who served as the heart of the franchise. Tom Hanks brought warmth, humor, and vulnerability to the character, turning Woody into one of Pixar’s most beloved creations and helping the series resonate across generations. 

His performance gave the toy sheriff a soul that audiences instantly connected with, a legacy that continues with Toy Story 5, which reunites Hanks with Woody more than 30 years after the original film. But as it turns out, Hanks was not Pixar’s first choice.

Long before Toy Story rode into theaters, John Lasseter hoped Robin Williams would bring his manic energy and comedic brilliance to Woody. But the Oscar-winning actor, who took home the Best Supporting Actor Academy Award for Good Will Hunting (1997) for his performance as therapist Dr. Sean Maguire, had no interest in working with Disney. Williams had been left furious after Aladdin became a blockbuster. He had accepted a modest $75,000 salary to voice the Genie under strict conditions that Disney wouldn't heavily use his name or the character for merchandising.

When the studio ignored those promises and flooded marketing with the Genie, Williams felt betrayed and launched a boycott against Disney. Since Toy Story was financed and distributed by the company, he refused to consider the role. The feud lasted for years, with Williams even declining to reprise the Genie in The Return of Jafar.

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By the time Disney and Williams reconciled, Tom Hanks had already made Woody an icon, but there were a few other contenders before he did.

When Pixar began searching for a voice for Woody, one name that naturally surfaced was Clint Eastwood. After all, few actors embodied the American cowboy better than the star of The Good, the Bad and the Ugly and Dirty Harry. By then, Eastwood had already cemented his place among Hollywood's elite, later winning 4 Academy Awards for directing and producing Unforgiven and Million Dollar Baby, films in which he also played the aging outlaw William Munny and hardened boxing trainer Frankie Dunn. But Eastwood never climbed aboard.

In the early 1990s, he was in the midst of one of the most acclaimed periods of his career, and a lighthearted animated film aimed at children was not where his interests lay. Timing also worked against Pixar. Woody's earliest incarnation was far rougher and less charming, before Tom Hanks, paid under $50,000, turned him into an icon, making the role an awkward fit for Eastwood's screen persona. Coupled with his long-standing loyalty to Warner Bros., Eastwood passed, leaving Pixar to continue its search for the perfect sheriff.

Paul Newman had everything Pixar thought Woody needed: movie-star charm, Western credibility, and the easy charisma that had made him a Hollywood legend. The actor, who won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance as aging pool hustler "Fast Eddie" Felson in The Color of Money (1986), seemed like a natural fit. But when the studio approached him in the early 1990s, Newman was not convinced.

Computer animation was still an untested frontier, and the idea of spending months in a recording booth voicing a toy cowboy held little appeal for an actor who had built his career through nuanced, physical performances.

There was another problem. Early versions of Toy Story painted Woody as a bitter, unpleasant bully rather than the warm-hearted leader audiences eventually embraced. Newman, known for playing rebellious yet likable characters, simply did not connect with that interpretation. Ironically, years later, Pixar won him over. Combining his love of acting with his lifelong passion for racing, Newman accepted the role of Doc Hudson in Cars, giving one of his final and most beloved performances, leaving Woody's character open for Tom Hanks to make his own. 

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Which alternate version fascinates you the most? Robin Williams, Clint Eastwood, or Paul Newman? Let us know in the comments.