'Inside Out2': Amy Poehler reflects on her sentiments while filming

Amy Poehler's emotional journey in making Inside Out is an exceptional testament to the power of storytelling. The film's ability to evoke joy, fear, sadness, and anxiety is a tribute to its creators' artistry and dedication.

“When I get to work on it, it's so deep,” she tells People magazine exclusively of the 2015 Pixar and Disney animated film and its new sequel. “Because it's like talking to your inner child, talking to you as a parent, talking to you as yourself, talking to the future version of you.”

"Big time" personal epiphanies occur in the voiceover booth, she continues. “You have to really go there. It's really satisfying to do it.”

Before Poehler, 52, accepted the Vanguard Award at the 2024 CinemaCon Big Screen Achievement Awards on April 11, she showed Inside Out 2 footage to an audience at Caesars Palace.

The Parks and Recreation actress claims that when reading a narrative about a preteen dealing with puberty, readers can't help but feel connected.

“That feeling of, ‘Who am I? How should I act?’ The inner feeling of, ‘What should I be worried about? What should I let go of? How do I take care of myself?’ We can all relate to that.”

Inside Out 2 follows Riley, a 13-year-old girl played by Kensington Tallman, as she navigates what Poehler refers to as "a moment in a young person's life where they're trying to figure out, 'What are my values?'" through the lens of her inner emotions, which include Joy (Poehler), Sadness (Phyllis Smith), Anger (Lewis Black), Fear (Tony Hale), and Disgust (Liza Lapira).