JOIN OUR WHATSAPP CHANNEL
Amy Poehler Reflects on Inside Out Role at Mental Wellness Event: 'Truly Changed My Life'
Amy Poehler shared how her Inside Out role sparked personal reflections on emotions as she attended a gala promoting mental wellness and breaking the stigma around it.
Amy Poehler is discussing how starring in Inside Out has changed her life. While attending the 12th Annual Bring Change to Mind Revels & Revelations gala, the actress, who voices the character Joy in both the 2015 animated kids film and its 2024 sequel, told People that her role has sparked meaningful discussions and personal reflections about how we experience and navigate emotions.
“My experience in Inside Out and Inside Out 2 has truly, fundamentally changed my life,” Poehler, 53, expressed. “Playing a character like Joy, having big conversations about what our emotions do to us, how they live in us, and how we’re supposed to experience them.”
ALSO READ: Inside Out 2 Voice Cast: Amy Poehler, Ayo Edebiri, Phyllis Smith & More
Back in June, Poehler told People how she personally related to Riley, the teenager at the center of the franchise. The 13-year-old faces a confusing mix of emotions—Joy, Sadness, Anger, Disgust, Fear, and more—that come with puberty. In the sequel, Joy and Riley’s newest emotion, Anxiety, compete for dominance in Riley’s brain. The push-and-pull dynamic between the two emotions reminded Poehler of herself at 13.
“I definitely was a mix of anxiety and joy for sure, wrapped up in a Boston accent,” she joked. “I guess I felt a lot of what Riley felt, in that your brain is full, very noisy.”
The SNL alum also opened up to the outlet in April about how stepping into the voiceover studio to record Joy’s lines often led to intense personal epiphanies, as the material she tackled was deeply emotional. The actress revealed that recording her part sometimes felt like she was speaking to her inner child. Other times, it felt like she was talking to herself as a parent. Despite the emotional challenges, Poehler added that the job was immensely satisfying.
Now that the actress is parenting two teenagers—sons Archie, 16, and Abel, 14, whom she shares with ex-husband Will Arnett—the Sisters star said she is witnessing firsthand how challenging it is for teenagers to navigate their emotions, especially in today’s world.
At the aforementioned event, Poehler praised the organization’s mission to end the stigma surrounding mental wellness, particularly among young people.
FAQ
Latest Articles
