Who voiced the character Jessie in Toy Story 2?

Joan Cusack voiced Jessie in Toy Story 2.

Jessie is a cowgirl rag doll who joins Woody’s group after Woody is stolen by toy collector Al McWhiggin. Cusack supplied Jessie’s spoken dialogue, giving the character her energetic, emotional and distinctly western personality. Jessie later returned in Toy Story 3 and Toy Story 4.

The film’s vocal credits can cause confusion because Jessie has more than one notable voice performer. Sarah McLachlan sings “When She Loved Me,” the heartbreaking song that reveals Jessie’s history with her former owner, Emily. Mary Kay Bergman provided Jessie’s yodeling vocals in the fictional Woody’s Roundup material. Those contributions do not replace Cusack as Jessie’s principal speaking voice.

Jessie’s backstory explains her fear of abandonment and enclosed spaces. Emily eventually outgrows her and gives her away, leaving Jessie traumatized after years in storage. Cusack’s performance helped make Jessie one of the franchise’s most prominent new characters in the 1999 sequel.