2011 Oscars: Recasting ‘Toy Story 3’

WOODY

Played by Tom Hanks, 54 in the film

Recasting: Lin Manuel Miranda, 31

Why He’s Right for the Part: Anyone who saw Lin Manuel Miranda in Broadway’s In the Heights knows that Lin is a rollercoaster of emotions onstage—much like Woody, the old-fashioned cowboy sheriff in Toy Story 3. Lin also has the high-pitched voice and the excitable personality that makes Woody so charming and appealing. In the Tony-winning musical, Lin was the leader of the predominantly Dominican Washington Heights barrio, which makes him the perfect choice to play the voice of reason and dependably guide the other toys in Toy Story 3.