Inside Out 2 stars talk friendships, favorite deleted scenes, and more (Exclusive)

While Inside Out 2 put a lot of focus on the emotions in Riley’s mind, the movie also brought us a look at Riley’s life. We got to see her in the summer before heading to high school, as she found out her two best friends wouldn’t be going to the same school as her.

Starting high school is already a terrifying time. Now she needed to find a way to fit in with the hockey players she would play with, while having the best summer ever with her best friends. There were highs and lows, in a movie that focused a lot on friendships and growing up.

We sat down with Kensington Tallman, Sumayyah Nuriddin-Green, and Grace Lu to talk about the creation of the series and about a deleted scene that sadly isn’t included in the box set.

Kensington Tallman talks coming into Inside Out 2

Kensington Tallman didn’t voice the character of the original Riley in the first movie, so we chatted a little about what it was like for her to come into the second movie. Was there any pressure?

Tallman shared how she remembered watching the first movie when she was younger, and it was an honor to voice a character that was important to her in her formative years. She also had great things to say about director Kelsey Mann and producer Mark Nielsen.

"The process was so collaborative. Kelsey Mann, our incredible director, and Mark Nielsen our amazing producer, let me improv and add my own spin to her, which was just really amazing."

Focusing on friendship in formative years

While there is the focus on the emotions, there is also a look at friendship during the teenage years. The three touched on the importance of focusing on this throughout the movie.

Tallman shared how she was going through many of the same emotions as Riley, so it helped her be able to express herself. She could name the emotions.

"Getting to record with Grace and Sumayyah was amazing. We clicked immediately and we just had the best chemistry."

 Nuriddin-Green jumped in to talk about how their being so close in age to their characters made it much easier to be authentic within the story. How often do we joke around about 20-somethings playing teenagers? Well, Inside Out 2 made sure the casting was just right.

"I think it really helped that we got the opportunity to record together…We were not far off from the age that our characters are when we were recording, so it was really easy to bring that authenticity to the characters, but it made it just so much easier when we got to record together."

Lu added to the discussion talking about how the movie is a “Homage to friendship.”

"I think growing up as teens, friendship is probably one of the most important relationships that you have in your life. So having the film’s focus be on friendship was really beautiful."

The best thing about the three stars is that they continued to support each other and big each other up throughout the interview. It was beautiful to see them support each other, which is something we need to see more of. They truly are like best friends.

Deleted scenes and the best ways to watch Inside Out 2

Inside Out 2 now has a streaming date on Disney+. Get ready for Wednesday, Sept. 25. Now personally, I will still be a DVD/Blu-ray person. I love that physical media. But what about the three stars?

Tallman shared that she loves all formats.

"I personally like experiencing them in each format…Going to the theater is such an incredible experience, but getting to watch it on DVD and Blu-ray and streaming…I think it’s a really special thing to be able to watch it with your family."

Lu shared that she will always support the physical media, while Nuriddin-Green loves the theatrical experience.

"I think I saw it in theaters about five times and it still wasn’t enough…I’m thankful for streaming."

This did bring up the topic of deleted scenes and bonus material. It turns out that there is a deleted scene at a pizza restaurant that didn’t make the cut for the inclusion on the DVD box set. The trio share more about that in our interview, so you’ll want to check it out around the 5-minute mark.

Everyone has a favorite emotion in Inside Out

We all connect to specific emotions. For some, it’s Anxiety because that’s what they’re dealing with. For others, it’s Anger as they see that it’s normal to feel rage at times. What about our trio of actresses?

Nuriddin-Green loves Embarrassment.

"Embarrassment was so lovable in general, but I feel like when we’re recording or in our individual sessions, we don’t see a lot of the other scenes…I knew Embarrassment would be in there, but I did not expect to relate or love him so much."

Lu shared how it was always about Joy, even from the first movie.

"I was a big fan of Joy…and I feel like I see a lot of myself in her and that kind of like positive sometimes to a fault and I really love that. They gave her that moment in the sequel of, 'It’s hard to be happy all the time,' and I love that they gave her that moment of vulnerability that we don’t often get to see with an optimistic character."

For Kensington, it’s was all about Anxiety.

"I would say Anxiety because I had my own struggles with anxiety and with mental health. I felt like I was very alone during that time, and I felt like I shouldn’t talk about it, and I felt very ashamed of it…When I saw Anxiety portrayed on the screen, it gave me so much peace and relief to know that this is normal."

To end the interview, we talked about the possibility of Inside Out 3 and where three would like to see the girls next. They all had the same feelings, so take a look at the interview below to find out everything they said:

Inside Out 2 is coming to Disney+ on Wednesday, Sept. 25. It’s on DVD, Blu-ray, and Digital now!