Inside Out 2 made a splash at the box office on its opening weekend in June 2024, however, fans were quick to notice two stars missing from the cast.
Before the movie was released on June 14, the producers of the film confirmed that Lisa Lapira and Tony Hale were taking over Mindy Kaling and Bill Hader’s roles as Disgust and Fear, respectively. Amy Poehler, Lewis Black and Phyllis Smith are, however, back as Joy, Anger and Sadness.
“It’s been nine years since that first film, and you try to get their original cast back together, but it doesn’t always work out,” producer Mark Nielsen told LADbible in May 2024.
“Man, we love Bill Hader and Mindy Kaling,” he added. “They’re always going to be part of this Pixar family.”
From what they have said about being recast to who is voicing Fear and Disgust now, here’s everything to know about why Mindy Kaling and Bill Hader didn’t return to Inside Out 2.
Why were Mindy Kaling’s Disgust and Bill Hader’s Fear recast in Inside Out 2?
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Kaling and Hader did not return to voice their characters in Inside Out 2 due to salary disputes, according to a report in Puck. They were allegedly offered $100,000 each to reprise their roles, which they turned down, per the outlet.
PEOPLE has reached out to Disney for comment.
What have Mindy Kaling and Bill Hader said about not returning to Inside Out 2?
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Kaling confirmed she would not be returning to the emotions inside protagonist Riley’s head in January 2023, telling The Wrap that she enjoyed her time on the original.
“I had a great time working on Inside Out and am sure Inside Out 2 will be great. But I’m not working on it,” Kaling said.
Hader has not commented on the project.
Who is now voicing Disgust and Fear?
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Hale and Lapira took over as Fear and Disgust in Inside Out 2, a choice Nielsen and director Kelsey Mann were excited about, they told LADbible.
“Adding them to the family has been an absolute treasure the last four years,” Nielsen said. “[We’ve enjoyed] recording them and watching them really grab onto these characters.”
Mann added that it was important to him that the new actors “embodied who the characters were.”
“I wasn’t interested in doing any kind of impressions or anything,” he said. “I think that’s what I love about Lisa and Tony: they’re just being themselves. They just fit the character so well.”
In an April 2024 interview with GMA News Online, Mann elaborated on how Lapira was the perfect fit for Disgust thanks to her signature attitude.
“We wanted somebody to just be who they are and fit the character,” Mann said. “That’s how we cast it for Disgust, and how we found Liza. Liza’s fantastic because she just inherently can embody the attitude of the character.”
What have Tony Hale and Lisa Lapira said about voicing Fear and Disgust?
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Hale and Lapira have also expressed their excitement at taking over the voices for two of the original five emotions in Inside Out.
When he first announced he was joining the project in November 2023, Hale wrote on Instagram that the original was one of his favorite movies.
“Inside Out is not only one of my favorite animated movies of all time, it is one of my favorite movies of all time,” he wrote in the caption. “The genius way it communicates the complicated and powerful world of our emotional life is on another level. I feel so honored to be a part of this one.”
Hale also told PEOPLE in June 2024 about his own struggles with anxiety. “What I used to do is I used to always identify with every feeling, every thought,” he said. Now, thanks to an ongoing commitment to mental health, “I can observe it rather than drowning or identifying with it all the time.”
Lapira echoed Hale’s excitement, telling GMA News Online in June 2024 that she “grew up” on Pixar movies, so to join the ensemble of one was especially thrilling.
“I love working for Pixar and Disney. It’s very exciting to be part of this team, more exciting than I even thought,” she said. “And about myself, I discovered that I really, really enjoy this part of my job!”
