Joan Cusack Makes 1st Red Carpet Appearance in 11 Years
Joan Cusack made a triumphant return to the red carpet at the premiere for Toy Story 5.
Cusack, 63, arrived at the Odeon Luxe Leicester Square in London on Thursday, May 28. She donned a white button-up and long black skirt that featured a dramatic train. Cusack's hair was styled in a chic bob and she rocked glasses.
The actress attended the Toy Story 5 premiere to celebrate reprising her role as Jessie the Cowgirl. Cusack has lent her voice to Jessie since Toy Story 2, which was released in 1999. She even posed with her character counterpart on the red carpet.
She also took a group photo with her costars Tom Hanks, Tim Allen and Greta Lee. At one point, the cast was joined by their classic Toy Story characters: Jessie, Woody and Buzz. Lee's character, Lilypad, who is new to the children's franchise, did not join the festivities.
Later on, Cusack shared a sweet moment with Lee on the carpet. The duo shared a laugh and embraced while posing for photos.
In addition to sharing the evening with her costars, Cusack was joined by husband Richard Burke.
This is the first time Cusack has walked a red carpet in more than a decade. Her last appearance was at Sundance in 2015 for her film The End Of The Tour. The drama also starred Jason Segel and Jesse Eisenberg. That same year, she attended the Emmys where she took home the award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series for her role on Shameless.
While Cusack has continued to work on multiple projects since Shameless, she has opted to stay out of the spotlight. Cusack and Burke reside in Chicago where they raised their now adult sons Dylan and Miles. The Emmy winner previously opened up about moving to the Windy City with her family and opening up her lifestyle store, Judy Maxwell Home.
"My kids were young, and I didn't really want to take acting work, because I always had to go away," she told The New Yorker in 2019. "I was trying to think of something to do, because I'm not really a big cooking person."
Earlier this year, Cusack reflected on how emotional it was to read the script for Toy Story 5 and how its message pulled at her heartstrings. (The fifth installment of the beloved Pixar franchise follows the toys as their owner Bonnie is struggling to make friends in real-life and she gets gifted a smart device by her parents.)
"I know every parent in the United States worries about their kids. When do you get them involved in tech? What does that do to their brains?" Cusack said in an April interview with Entertainment Weekly. "And that's what this movie's about. It's about humanity and playing and loyalty - and it makes me cry."
Toy Story 5 hits theaters on Friday, June 19.
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This story was originally published May 29, 2026 at 11:27 AM.