Jessie (Toy Story)

Jessie (Toy Story)

Jessie is a fictional character and the tritagonist from the films Toy Story 2 and Toy Story 3. At Christmas in 1999, the Wall Street Journal called Jessie toys among the hottest of the season. In the movie, she is a very rare toy modeled after a character on the fictional television show Woody's Roundup, where the characters included Sheriff Woody, Jessie, Stinky Pete the Prospector and Bullseye, Woody's horse. Her hair is formed in a ponytail braid tied with a bow. Jessie the doll has a character very similar to the one portrayed on the television show. She is excitable, brave and very athletic. The doll, however, carries a great deal of sadness, as she was abandoned by her original owner, which left her somewhat distrustful. Years of being in storage have made her somewhat withdrawn, and noticeably afraid of the dark, to the extent of hyperventilating whenever she is inside dark enclosed spaces, or even at just the thought of being abandoned.

But she longs to again be a source of joy to a child, and this wish comes true at the end of Toy Story 2 when Andy accepted her (and Bullseye) into his toy collection. In Toy Story 3, while she still displays signs of the fear of the dark, storage, and being abandoned in the beginning when she and the toys mistakenly believe that they are being thrown away by Andy, throughout the rest of the film, she appears to be more loyal, confident and helpful to others, in the process developing a romantic relationship with Buzz Lightyear.

She reappears in the short films Hawaiian Vacation (released with Cars 2 and Small Fry, (released with The Muppets).

Jessie is voiced by Joan Cusack in all the films, while Mary Kay Bergman voiced her yodels and "Woody's Roundup" TV-show voice in Toy Story 2. Bergman died just before Toy Story 2 was released, so the film was dedicated to her. Her singing voice is supplied by Sarah McLachlan (Jessie's song in Toy Story 2, "When She Loved Me", is sung by McLachlan rather than Cusack or Bergman).

Jessie also makes a cameo in Monsters, Inc. as one of Boo's toys that she gives to Sulley.

In October 2000, Jessie received the Patsy Montana Entertainer Award from the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame. She is also portrayed by Devon Dawson live on stage as a guest with Riders in the Sky in their concert and plays the guitar.