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There’s a long list of actors who almost starred in classic ‘90s movies, and I recently found out that Billy Crystal is one of them. When I was stumbling around the internet recently, I discovered that the man who famously voiced Mike Wazowski in Monsters, Inc., almost appeared in one of the best Pixar movies several years earlier. And no, I’m not talking about A Bug’s Life. Instead, it’s all the way back to the start of the company’s awesome run.
In the early ‘90s, Crystal was offered one of the two leading roles in Toy Story, but it wasn’t the role of Woody the Sheriff that was almost played by the When Harry Met Sally or City Slickers star. Allow me to explain one of the biggest and craziest what-ifs in Hollywood (or at least voice-acting) history.
Billy Crystal Was Offered The Role Of Buzz Lightyear, But His Agents Told Him To Turn It Down
So, what’s the story with Billy Crystal turning down an offer to play Buzz Lightyear in Toy Story? During a November 2024 appearance on The Graham Norton Show, Crystal was asked about the story floating around about him not taking the role, and the self-proclaimed “dope” didn’t disappoint with his hilarious and honest response:
I’m the dope who turned down Toy Story. When it first came to me, it wasn’t about the character or anything like that. It was a business thing that all the agents and managers said, ‘I don’t think you should do it. It’s not fair, you know, and they want you to write, and so you’re not getting paid really, and so and so, let’s pass.’
Crystal reluctantly took his team’s advice and decided to pass on the project. A few years later, the movie came out and became one of the best movies of 1995 as well as a revolutionary animated film. But, this is just part of the story. In fact, what came in the years that followed makes this story even more legendary.
When He Joined Monsters, Inc., Crystal Learned Of A Toy Story Screen Test Involving When Harry Met Sally
A couple of years after the release of Toy Story, Crystal received a call the film’s director, John Lasseter, who wanted to have a meeting. As the actor revealed during his interview with Norton, Lasseter brought with him a figurine of Mike Wazowski and asked him if he wanted to lead the then-upcoming Pixar film, Monsters Inc. Not wanting to make the same mistake twice, Crystal immediately said yes. This wasn’t the only thing that happened that day…
Turns out, Pixar made a screen test of sorts for Buzz Lightyear years earlier that showed an early version of the character acting out the famous wagon wheel meltdown scene from the all-time great romantic comedy When Harry Met Sally. Joking, Crystal said if he had seen that footage all those years ago, he would have done the movie without question.
As cool as it would have been to hear Billy Crystal voice Buzz Lightyear in the Toy Story cast 30 years ago, I have to admit that it’s hard to imagine anyone doing a better job than Tim Allen. And I’m not alone, as Crystal told Yahoo! Entertainment in November 2021 that he didn’t think he was the right voice for the role and that the Home Improvement star’s great and resounding voice added a lot to the character.
If Buzz was supposed to be a neurotic, nervous, and temperamental space ranger, it would be one thing, but the character’s full-of-himself demeanor and go-get-em attitude wouldn’t have been as effective with Crystal instead of Allen.
While it’s not certain if we’ll ever see another Monsters, Inc., we at least have the upcoming Toy Story 5 to look forward to, at least when it comes to Buzz Lightyear. In the meantime, you can watch both franchises and other great animated movies with a Disney+ subscription.