How Inside Out Shook Up Amy Poehler’s Life and Parenting Game
Amy Poehler is no stranger to emotional highs and lows but her journey with Inside Out has taken that understanding to a whole new level. The actress, beloved for her brand of comedy and undeniable charm, recently opened up about how playing Joy in Pixar’s Inside Out and its sequel has transformed not just her career but her outlook on life.
At the 12th Annual Bring Change to Mind Revels & Revelations gala, Poehler reflected on the deeper impact of her role. “My experience in Inside Out and Inside Out 2 has truly, fundamentally changed my life,” she revealed. “Playing a character like Joy, having big conversations about what our emotions do to us and how they live in us and how we’re supposed to experience them.”
For Poehler, these films aren’t just family-friendly animations—they’re thought-provoking emotional journeys.
From Joy to Real-Life Revelations
Her work as Joy has led to some pretty heavy soul-searching, and she’s not afraid to admit it. Stepping into the world of Riley, the 13-year-old protagonist, reminded Poehler of her youth.
“I definitely was a mix of anxiety and joy for sure, wrapped up in a Boston accent,” she shared. “And [I had] lots of shoulder pads and funky earrings,” Poehler added with a laugh.
The 53-year-old confessed she could totally relate to Riley’s noisy, chaotic headspace, which is dominated by the emotions Joy and the newly introduced Anxiety in the sequel. “You go from being not very self-conscious to suddenly really caring about what other people think really fast,” she said.
Sound familiar? Poehler’s not just channeling her younger self but also tapping into her current role as a mom to two teenagers.
Parenting Lessons From Joy
Raising her sons, 16-year-old Archie and 14-year-old Abel, with ex-husband Will Arnett has given Poehler a front-row seat to the complex emotional rollercoaster that is adolescence. “I think that’s kind of why I related to playing Joy so much,” she explained.
In Inside Out, Joy has to learn to let go—a lesson Poehler says resonates deeply as a parent. “When you’re raising a kid, they’re their own person. You just can’t protect them from pain and you’re really not even supposed to. You’re supposed to let them kind of have all their feelings so that they can figure out who they are.”
A New Era of Emotional Awareness
The actress isn’t just reflecting on her own growth—she’s excited about how Inside Out and its sequel are shaping conversations about emotions and mental health. Speaking at the gala, Poehler highlighted the importance of discussing these issues openly, particularly with younger generations.
“Tonight is filled with young people, and I think we have a lot to learn from them,” she said, nodding to the event’s mission to destigmatize mental illness.
It’s clear she’s brought more than her trademark humor to the role. She’s given it a decade’s worth of personal growth, emotional insight, and parenting wisdom.
