It’s no secret that as a result of constant economic and societal upheaval over the past two decades, many young people today are feeling lost, scared, and anxious, and most of all, lack hope for the future. In a wide-ranging conversation on Amy Poehler’s podcast, Good Hang, released Tuesday, 27-year-old actor Maya Hawke opened up about anxiety and the unexpected power in voicing one of the most resonant animated characters in modern film.
Hawke, who voices the character Anxiety in Disney-Pixar’s 2024 film Inside Out 2, told Poehler, who voices the character Joy in both Inside Out movies, that “anxiety might be the defining emotion of our time.” Her comment came during a discussion about what she had learned from playing the frazzled orange character in the blockbuster sequel, which earned more than $1.67 billion at the global box office to become the highest-grossing animated film of all time.
