Tom Hanks Calls for Voice Actors to Compete in Main Oscar Acting Categories

Tom Hanks, promoting *Toy Story 5*, told Gold Derby that the Academy should not create a separate Oscar category for voice work. He argued that voice performances belong in the existing Best Actor, Actress, Supporting Actor, and Supporting Actress categories, noting that “any performance that moved you” should be the sole criterion. The Oscars have never nominated a voice-only performance for these awards, and motion-capture roles have similarly been excluded, prompting calls for broader recognition.

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Since the Academy Awards’ inception, acting categories have been limited to on-screen appearances. Voice-only roles, such as Hanks’s Woody in the *Toy Story* franchise, have never received a nomination in the four acting fields. Scarlett Johansson generated Oscar buzz for her voice-only role in *Her* (2023), but no formal nomination followed. Motion-capture performances—exemplified by Andy Serkis’s work and Zoe Saldaña’s portrayal of Neytiri in the *Avatar* series—have also been omitted, a point repeatedly raised by director James Cameron and other industry leaders.

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• Tom Hanks – Two-time Best Actor Oscar winner (*Philadelphia*, *Forrest Gump*); voiced Woody since 1995 and was Annie-Award-nominated for the role.

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• Zoe Saldaña – Actress known for motion-capture work in *Avatar*; vocal critic of the Academy’s “old habits.”

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• James Cameron – Director of the *Avatar* franchise; publicly advocates for recognition of motion-capture performances.

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• Andy Serkis – Performer whose motion-capture work has been cited as a benchmark for acting craft, though not Oscar-nominated.

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• Hanks: Oscar wins (1993, 1994); Annie nomination (1995) for voice work.

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• No voice-only performance has ever secured a nomination in the Academy’s four acting categories.

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• Motion-capture roles have likewise never been nominated, despite multiple high-profile films featuring such work.

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Hanks emphasized that the existing categories are sufficient and that a voice performance should be judged by its emotional impact, not its technical delivery. Saldaña described the Academy’s reluctance to adapt as “old habits” that hinder progress. Cameron asserted that Saldaña’s work in *Avatar* matches the caliber of traditional acting, yet the Academy’s focus on physical presence excludes such contributions.

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Industry observers criticize the Academy for maintaining a narrow definition of “acting” that excludes vocal and motion-capture artistry. Saldaña’s remarks highlight institutional inertia, while Cameron’s comments underscore perceived inequity for performers whose work is primarily digital. Both argue that the lack of recognition diminishes the artistic legitimacy of these roles.

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• “If they are moved, that means they are moved by a human being’s performance. That’s all the requirement,” — Tom Hanks, Actor

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• “Old habits die hard, and when you have old establishments, it’s really hard to bring forward change,” — Zoe Saldaña, Actress

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• “I’ve worked with Academy Award-winning actors, and there’s nothing that Zoe’s doing that’s of a caliber less than that. But because in my film she’s playing a ‘CG character,’ it kind of doesn’t count in some way, which makes no sense to me whatsoever.” — James Cameron, Director

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Expanding eligibility could reshape award season narratives, influence contract negotiations, and validate the creative labor of voice and motion-capture artists. A shift might also encourage studios to invest more heavily in performance-driven animation and digital characters.

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Sources agree that no voice-only or motion-capture performance has received an acting nomination, yet they differ on the extent of industry buzz—some cite Scarlett Johansson’s *Her* as the “biggest contender,” while others provide no concrete nomination data. Comprehensive statistics on the Academy’s internal deliberations remain unavailable.

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*Toy Story 5* opens nationwide on June 19, 2026, reigniting discussion about voice-actor recognition as Hanks’s comments circulate. Industry panels and Academy committees are expected to address the issue in upcoming award-season meetings.

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