We’ve always wondered what the Toy Story characters’ love lives were like — or what their actors’ relationships were like. Woody’s Tom Hanks and Buzz Lightyear’s Tim Allen have both been in long-term marriages, along with much of the other cast, and it’s time we did a deep dive into those relationships. From Tom Hanks’ nearly 40-year marriage with Rita Wilson to Annie Potts’ longtime relationship with James Hayman, these Toy Story stars have such sweet real-life love stories. Get a glimpse into their relationship timelines!
1. Tom Hanks (Woody)
Samantha Lewes
Tom Hanks was married to his first wife, college sweetheart Samantha Lewes, from 1978 to 1987. Hanks was a mere 22 years old when they wed and the couple had two children together, Colin and Elizabeth. Hanks and Lewes officially divorced in 1987, but the two were separated before Hanks had moved on with his second wife.
Rita Wilson
Hanks’ second and current wife is his longtime love, Rita Wilson. They initially met on the set of his TV show Bosom Buddies, but he was married to Lewes. Nonetheless, he and Wilson hit it off as good friends.
“One of the things, when we met, was that we just got along instantly,” Wilson shared about her husband.
In 1985, the two reconnected on the set of Volunteers, and their feelings couldn’t be denied any longer (Hanks separated from Lewes before they got together).
“Rita and I just looked at each other and — kaboing — that was that,” Hanks shared. “I asked Rita if it was the real thing for her, and it just couldn’t be denied.”
The Hollywood power couple wed a few years later in 1988. Just two years after that, the duo welcomed their first child, Chet, together, and their second, Truman, in 1995. Wilson and Hanks are still happily married.
“The success of our relationship was a matter of timing, maturity and our willingness to have an intimate connection…” Hanks shared. “But our relationship isn’t magic — the way it’s shown in movies. In real life, our connection is as concrete as me sitting here.”
2. Tim Allen (Buzz Lightyear)
Laura Deibel
Before he was married to his current wife, Tim Allen was wed to his college sweetheart, Laura Deibel. Allen and Deibel tied the knot in 1984, when Allen was 31. The couple welcomed daughter Katherine in 1989. They later divorced in 1999.
Jane Hajduk
“To infinity and beyond!” That’s what Buzz Lightyear would say about Tim Allen’s current marriage to Jane Hajduk, whom he wed in a small 2006 ceremony in Colorado. The couple dated five years before their wedding and welcomed their daughter, Elizabeth, in 2009.
Hajduk is an actor, like Allen, and has starred alongside her husband in multiple films, including Joe Somebody (2001), Zoom (2006) and The Shaggy Dog (2006). Hajduk often appears alongside Allen on the red carpet and they’re pretty much inseparable.
3. Annie Potts (Bo Peep)
Steven Hartley & Greg Antonacci
Before her current marriage to James Hayman, Annie Potts was married three times. She wed her first husband Steven Hartley in 1973 when Potts was just 21 years old, but they divorced in 1978. That same year, she married her second husband, Greg Antonacci, but the couple was only together for one year.
Scott Senechal
In 1981, Potts tied the knot with husband number three, Scott Senechal, an assistant director and producer. Senechal is known for working on films such as Rain Man (1988) and Thelma & Louise (1991). The same year they wed, Potts and Senechal welcomed their first child, Clay. The couple split up in 1989.
James Hayman
Annie Potts has a real-life love of her own in husband James Hayman, whom she’s been married to since 1990. The couple met while on the set of Breaking the Rules (1992), with Potts quickly knowing Hayman was the one because of how he was with her son, Clay.
“When you fall in love with somebody who comes into your surroundings when you have a kid already, [they] have to love both of us,” Potts explained in an interview. “He was so willing to do that. We were instantly a family.”
Hayman was a cinematographer on the film set, and Potts explained that they bonded over his work, which he was more than willing to share with her. The couple have since worked on multiple projects together, including the show Dangerous Minds.
Potts and Hayman welcomed two sons together, James and Harry, in 1992 and 1996, respectively, as well as two grandchildren.
4. Jim Varney (Slinky Dog)
The actor and comedian who was the voice behind Slinky Dog was married twice. His first marriage was to Jacqueline Drew, from 1977 to 1983. Five years later, Varney married Jane Varney, but they were only together for three years. Neither marriage resulted in children and Varney sadly passed in 2000 at age 50.
5. John Ratzenberger (Hamm)
The Cheers alum, John Ratzenberger, has been married three times. It’s unknown when he married his first wife, Caroline, but the couple split up in 1983. A year later, Ratzenberger married Georgia Stiny. They welcomed two children over the course of their marriage — James in 1987 and Nina in 1989. Ratzenberger and Stiny split up in 2004 after 20 years of marriage.
The actor tied the knot with current wife Julie Blichfeldt in 2012. They met four years prior and have been happily married ever since, often appearing together on the red carpet.
6. Wallace Shawn (Rex)
Wallace Shawn, who voices Rex in Toy Story, has been with his partner, actress Deborah Eisenberg, since 1972. Although they have been together for over 50 years, the couple never married or had children, as neither Shawn nor Eisenberg is interested in the concept.
7. Don Rickles (Mr. Potato Head)
Mr. Potato Head found love off-screen — Don Rickles was married to his longtime sweetheart, Barbara Rickles, from 1965 until his passing in 2017. The couple had two kids together, Larry and Mindy.
8. Erik von Detten (Sid)
Although his on-screen Toy Story character can be a bully, Erik von Detten found happiness in real life. The actor has been married to his wife, Angela, since 2018, who he met through mutual friends a few years prior. The couple has since welcomed three children: Claire, Thomas and Nicholas in 2019, 2021 and 2022 respectively.