Maya Hawke, the actress behind Anxiety in Pixar’s Inside Out 2, opened up about how the character has helped children understand their emotions and navigate anxiety.

Hawke, 27, spoke on Amy Poehler’s podcast Good Hang on November 4, 2025. Poehler, who voices Joy in the film, joined Hawke to discuss the impact of the sequel on young audiences.

“That movie made people so happy … and feel so seen,” Hawke said. “Little kids feel so seen by it. And, like, it helped them understand their brain better.”

Using Anxiety’s Voice to Comfort Kids

The Stranger Things star shared that she often records messages for friends’ children using Anxiety’s voice. She described one message for a child whose parent had to go to the doctor:

“Hi. Oh, I know it’s really scary when parents have to go to the doctor’s office, and I know that it makes you nervous … but the thing is, you just take deep breaths and trust that your daddy will be safe, and that the doctors are gonna take great care of him.”

Hawke emphasized that she loves doing these recordings and never feels annoyed when asked to use the Anxiety voice.

Lessons From Playing Anxiety

Hawke also reflected on what she learned about her own anxiety while voicing the character. She explained that acknowledging anxiety rather than suppressing it is key:

“A way to calm it down is like, inviting it into the conversation, like, looking at what it thinks, and is worried about, and kind of addressing each point … offering it a comfortable chair and saying, like, okay. You’re invited. I’m not trying to shut you out behind a door. Because that, of course, just works it up even more.”

She added that portraying Anxiety taught her to show love to that part of herself and allow others to do the same.

Hawke’s heartfelt performance continues to resonate, helping children—and adults—see that their worries are valid and manageable.