’80s star Joan Cusack makes stunning red carpet return after 11-year absence

’80s icon Joan Cusack made a triumphant return to the red carpet, 11 years after her last public appearance and seven years after her last onscreen role. The 63-year-old looked incredible at the London premiere of Toy Story 5 in a white button-up shirt tucked into a high-waisted black maxi skirt that showcased her lithe figure.

She kept her accessories to a minimum and wore her brunette bob neatly styled. By Joan’s side was her husband of 30 years, Richard Burke. The lawyer looked dapper in a white button-up shirt, gray trousers and a black blazer over the top. 

This marked a rare appearance for Joan, whose last red carpet moment was in 2015 at the Emmy Awards in Los Angeles. 

The actress reprised her role as the iconic Toy Story character Jessie in the upcoming Pixar film, alongside her co-stars Tom Hanks as Woody, Tim Allen as Buzz Lightyear, Keanu Reeves as Duke Caboom, with Greta Lee joining the cast as Lilypad.

The synopsis for the film, set to release in theaters on June 19, reads: “This time it’s Toy meets Tech. Buzz, Woody, Jessie and the rest of the gang’s jobs are challenged when they’re introduced to what kids are obsessed with today… electronics!“

The fifth Toy Story instalment will also see Jessie take over from Woody as the lead character, with Joan’s voice acting talent front and center. 

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“We had gone to the well of Woody so much, I just felt like he needs a break. Let him be happy in a choice he’s made for a little bit, and he’ll still have stuff, but it won’t have to be such high stakes,” said director Andrew Stanton to MovieWeb.

“Jessie was just so prime, probably even a movie ago, to deal with the stuff that’s gone on with her, and she was so ready to be the next leader of the toys in the room, and so, it was always on my mind from the minute I got brought onto [Toy Story] 4,” he continued. 

“I made sure we passed the badge on so it was official, so that even if we didn’t go beyond, in your mind, she had graduated to that.” Joan’s return to the spotlight comes after her last onscreen appearance in 2019’s Let It Snow. 

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She shot to fame in the ’80s thanks to her star-making roles in Class, Sixteen Candles, Say Anything…, and Working Girl, and later cemented her status as an unparalleled comic actress in Addams Family Values and School of Rock. She was recognized for her work on Shameless with an Emmy win in 2017.  

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The sister of actor John Cusack has been busy running a gift shop in Chicago since 2011, and raising her two sons, Miles and Dylan, away from the spotlight. “As my kids would say, ‘Chicago is awesome!‘ It has rich culture and history, as well as some of the best museums, architecture and restaurants in the world,” she shared in an interview.

“Plus, it prevents our family life from revolving around TV and the movies. In LA it’s easy to get caught up in what you look like or how much money you have, and those aren’t values I want my kids to adopt.“