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‘Really Fun Story': Inside Out 2 Director Reveals How He Auditioned Maya Hawke For Anxiety From Disney World
Maya Hawke’s audition was scheduled while the director was enjoying a holiday with his family at Disney World.
The highly-anticipated sequel to the Oscar-winning film Inside Out, titled Inside Out 2, is set to be released in June 2024. As fans eagerly await its arrival, intriguing details from behind-the-scenes are starting to emerge. Director Kelsey Mann recently shared an amusing anecdote about the casting of Maya Hawke, known for her role in Stranger Things, as the emotion character Anxiety.
Maya Hawke’s audition was scheduled while the director was enjoying a holiday with his family at Disney World. His vacation was interrupted by an urgent work call but it ended up being one of the memorable moments of making Inside Out 2.
Maya Hawke’s Anxiety hit a pause on Kelsey Mann’s holiday
Director Kelsey Mann opened up about the compelling story behind the casting of Maya Hawke in an interview. With all-new emotions debuting in Riley’s pubescent mind, Mann was particular about the actors voicing them. Therefore, he recalled, “Here’s a really cool thing about Maya, [she] was awesome, you know. It’s a really fun story. I auditioned Maya from Disney World, believe it or not.”
The screenwriter who is set to make his directorial debut with Inside Out 2, briefly paused his family vacation at Disney World to audition Hawke for the role of Anxiety. “So, we went out to like to do an audition with Maya, and Mark [Nielsen] was like, ‘Good news is she said, ‘’Yes.”’ She would love to audition and meet with you. Bad news is it’s during your vacation.’ So, me and my kids, we were all at Disney World. I’m like ‘Ah, man, I’m at Disney World.’ He’s like ‘Don’t worry, we’ll figure something out,” Mann continued. 
Mann informed his family, "Alright, I’ll be right back,” and was taken backstage to a “random office” that had Zoom on a computer. It was where the audition took place. Eventually, the audition fruitioned and Mann was rather emotional after Hawke clasped his thoughts behind the film and character.
Mann noted, “She absolutely crushed it. And my favourite part was, you know, at the end of it, I talked about what I wanted the movie to be about, and she just immediately connected with it. I think I even cried as she was talking.” The director marked the 25-year-old actress as a “perfect” fit and then went on to continue his vacation.
Inside Out 2 new characters and cast
The sequel to the Academy-winning film will feature new characters and a riveting voice cast. Anxiety is voiced by Maya Hawke, Ayo Edebiri lends her voice to Envy, Ennui is voiced by Adèle Exarchopoulos, and Embarrassment by Paul Walter Hauser. The central human character, Riley Anderson will take on Kensington Tallman’s vocals.
Whereas, former emotions Joy by Amy Poehler, Lewis Black’s voice as Anger, Phyllis Smith’s Sadness, Fear by Tony Hale, and Disgust voiced by Liza Lapira were already cast in the original installment Inside Out, in 2015. Earlier in March, Pixar released the official trailer for Inside Out 2, while a poster and film stills were teased by Disney beforehand.
Helmed by Kelsey Mann with Mark Nielsen serving as the producer, Inside Out 2 is ready to hit theatres on 14 June 2024.
ALSO READ: Inside Out 2: Everything To Know About New Emotions; From Envy To Embarrassment
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