Sheriff Woody is a fictional, pull-string cowboy rag doll who appears in the Disney/Pixar Toy Story franchise. In the films, Woody is one of the main protagonist characters along with Buzz Lightyear. He is primarily voiced by Tom Hanks with Hanks voicing him in the Toy Story films, short films, and TV specials. Tom Hanks' brother, Jim Hanks, voices him in Lamp Life, video games, attractions, and other merchandise.
Woody was created by directors and writers John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton, Pete Docter, and Joe Ranft. His facial features are based on the former Disney animator Tone Thyne. Woody was designed by Bud Luckey, and is based on John Lasseter's Casper pull-string doll he had as a kid, as well as the Howdy Doody puppets from the 1950s show. Woody is named after Woody Strode, a character actor known for many roles in western films. In August 2009, Toy Story 3 director, Lee Unkrich, stated in his Twitter feed that Woody's last name is Pride and has been since the making of the original movie.
In the films, Woody is Andy Davis' favorite toy and is the leader of Andy's toys. When Andy gets a new toy called Buzz Lightyear, Woody’s position is jeopardized until he later becomes friends with Buzz. He figures out he used to be in a popular TV show called Woody's Roundup and is asked to stay with the Roundup group, but decides to remain with Andy's toys. When Andy grows up, he has to get rid of his toys and decides to give them to a little girl named Bonnie Anderson. When Bonnie's family decides to go on a vacation, he finds his long-lost girlfriend, Bo Peep. He decides he will remain with Bo Peep and help lost toys find new owners. Since his debut, Woody has received largely positive reception from reviewers because of his character's arc, personality, as well as Tom Hanks' vocal performance.
