Newcomer Ally Maki chats with us about her role in Toy Story 4, female empowerment, and what joining the Pixar family has been like.
With her wide smile and bubbly personality, Ally Maki is an actress so perfect for the Pixar world its ridiculous. She’s essentially the embodiment of a Disney princess (a future idea the Mouse House might want to consider). Maki is set to make a big splash starring in this week’s long-awaited fourth installment in the popular Toy Story franchise, playing the diminutive yet commanding Giggles McDimples.
To hear Maki talk about nabbing the role is almost anticlimactic, and yet the actress makes it sound utterly compelling.
“I actually got a letter…it was this really fancy paper. It wasn’t handwritten but it was on thick paper and had the Incredibles on the top. The letter was like, ‘Dear Ms. Maki, we’d love for you to be a part of this’ and they told me all about the film.”
Probably more fun, especially for Disney collectors, was the wealth of stuff Maki received upon securing the role, which she intends on hoarding for an eventual “Pixar, Toy Story, Giggle McDimples merch shrine.”
Giggles, a Polly Pocket police chief for the town of Mini-opolis, dominates the movie with her personality, particularly when placed alongside Bo Peep (played by Annie Potts). Maki herself said Polly Pockets were a formative toy for her growing up.
“I loved the miniature-ness of [them[ because I was always really small for my age, and I’m still short. Growing up I always felt like I had a lot of fire inside of me so I really resonate with [Polly Pocket] in that way.”
That same tiny but feisty attitude is what drew Maki, the star of TNT’s popular comedy Wrecked, to the character of Giggles. Described as the smallest toy to inhabit the Toy Story universe, Maki loved how fearless, passionate and loyal the character is.
In Disney•Pixar’s “Toy Story 4,” Bo Peep introduces Woody to her best friend Giggle McDimples. A miniature plastic doll from the 1980s, Giggle is Bo’s confidant, supporter and advisor, and spends a lot of her time perched on Bo’s shoulder. Featuring Ally Maki as the voice of Giggle, “Toy Story 4” opens in U.S. theaters on June 21, 2019. ©2019 Disney•Pixar. All Rights Reserved.
“Even if I didn’t play Giggle McDimples, she would be my favorite character,” Maki says.
For Maki, this role means more than just getting to play in the Pixar universe. As an Asian-American who never felt represented in cinema, Maki sees this as an emotional experience that finally allows her to live out the dreams she had when she was 14-years-old. Now she gets to see her character on everything from billboards to Babybel cheese, which is a serious step, both as a performer and a performer of color.
Recording over a span of three years, Maki was able to see, first-hand, the changes her character underwent.
“When they sent me the very early concept drawings, [Giggles] had a little bow and a pink and purple dress on, but she still had the same personality,” Maki tells Culturess.
Eventually, Maki explains, Pixar debuted the character’s police chief uniform, giving the character additional personality through her job.
Maki explains, “It was brilliant they added that layer because you want to see characters like that, female characters who are taking on these jobs that are always male-based.” The actress adds that’s what Pixar provided for her, the ability to be herself and have a character who felt like an extension.
When asked if the company expected her to do an accent or anything special with her voice, Maki says no.
“They said, ‘We want you to be 100% yourself. At Pixar we choose the person based on who they are, truly and inside, their genuine self.'” Maki says this was freeing. “I’m always told be smaller, be more grounded, be less, be less” but working as Giggles allowed her the creativity to be loud, brash, and whimsical.
Coupled with Giggles new relationship with Bo Peep, it was enough to leave Maki’s inner child jumping up and shouting hooray. When asked about working with Bo’s voice actress, Annie Potts, Maki has nothing but praise.
The two met for the first time after screening the film and “[Annie] came out crying.” Maki describes Potts as not just warm and friendly but an icon for this franchise regardless of her absence in the last installment. For Maki, it was a legendary performer joining up with the new hotshot. And it is a relationship Maki hopes will continue in future installments.
“The Bo and Giggle buddy comedy sounds amazing!” Maki shares. And we couldn’t agree more.
Toy Story 4 is in theaters now!