The $16 million role Billy Crystal will never forgive himself for rejecting: “I hate that this comes up”
Billy Crystal says he still regrets turning down the role of Buzz Lightyear in *Toy Story*, calling it the only career decision he wishes he could reverse. The film became a landmark in animation and a major hit, though Crystal says he did not think his voice suited the part at the time.
When offered the role, Crystal saw an early pencil test at Disney executive Jeffrey Katzenberg’s home, but says Buzz had not yet been fully developed and only Woody had a name. He ultimately felt Tim Allen’s resonant voice was a better fit, while Crystal later voiced Mike Wazowski in *Monsters, Inc.* The article reports that the original *Toy Story* grossed $401.2 million and refers to a reported $1.149 billion for *Toy Story 5*.
In short
- Billy Crystal regrets passing on Buzz Lightyear.
- He doubted his voice suited the role.
- He later voiced Mike in *Monsters, Inc.*
Explained simply
Toy Story is a computer-animated film series made by Pixar, following toys that come to life when people are not around. Its first film, released in 1995, was a landmark as the first feature-length film made entirely with computer animation.
The main characters include Woody, a cowboy doll, and Buzz Lightyear, a space ranger toy. Actor Tim Allen voiced Buzz, while Billy Crystal later voiced Mike Wazowski, a one-eyed monster, in Pixar’s Monsters, Inc. The series became a major commercial success, making its casting decisions part of a wider story about how animated films and their characters are made.