Buzz Lightyear and Woody really are the best of friends — and not just on the big screen.
Tim Allen and Tom Hanks, the stars who’ve been bringing the beloved “Toy Story” characters to life since 1995, share a bond that goes “to infinity and beyond” off-screen, too.
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“Tom and I have really become really close friends,” Allen explained during a recent visit to Kelly Clarkson’s eponymous talk show.
And according to the actor, it’s a friendship that endures despite their distinct and divergent personalities.
“He and I differ on so many things,” Allen noted.
Among their differences is Hanks tendency to eat off Allen’s plate, stealing a French fry here and there, when they have lunch together.
“I come from a family where you don’t do that,” the 69-year-old said.
However, he’s able to overlook the mealtime transgressions — and any other issues that might cause division between others.
“I adore that man’s heart and mind,” he said of Hanks.
These days, when they do dine together, Allen’s frequent co-star doesn’t even have to reach very far for the fries.
“It’s the most peculiar lunches,” Allen insisted. “We’ve been going to lunch since ‘Toy Story 1’ — you know, two, three times a year. We’re like two older women, because we’ll sit almost too close to each other at a booth. It’s just weird. And I go, ‘I think I’m going to get up and sit at that side of the table.'”
But the physical closeness is really just a reflection of the their emotional bond.
Allen recalled Hanks’ wife, Rita Wilson, asking “What do you guys talk about?” The answer seems to be anything and everything.
“I don’t think I’ve ever trusted a human being as much as Tom to listen to me,” Allen said. “And vice versa. We have very different opinions on so many different things, but he’s really a wonderful and engaging person — and he’s the first guy that listens to me and doesn’t judge.”
Hanks has never hidden his respect for Allen, either.
In June, when Disney released “Lightyear,” the “Toy Story” spin-off that tells Buzz Lightyear’s origin story, without casting Allen in the titular role, Hanks spoke out about the choice, saying, “I don’t understand that.”
This article was originally published on TODAY.com
