Will Poulter: The actor mistaken for Sid from 'Toy Story’

In the land of the silver screen, coincidences and resemblances abound. But this story about rising talent, Will Poulter, might be one of the strangest.

Since bursting onto the Hollywood scene in 2010, Poulter, one of the industry’s youthful talents, has been saddled with an unlikely yet strangely fitting comparison.

The character in question is the infamous Sid Philips from the animated 1995 Pixar kid’s movie ‘Toy Story.’. To deny that a resemblance ever existed between Poulter and the animated villain would be tricky…. But, Poulter has grown since then, and quite considerably so.

Photo: Pixar

This comparison grew so disproportionately that Poulter confirmed in a ‘GQ’ interview that he’s been stopped on the street multiple times with people querying about it.

“A guy at a urinal in LA last week turned to me and said, ‘You’re in Toy Story, right?’ And I was like, ‘Well, that was animated,’” Poulter recounted during a 2023 interview with GQ.

Yes, some can’t seem to differentiate between an animated film and a real-life actor, especially with today’s technology. But you know what never fails? Numbers. And the math also helps provide a reality check.

A simple fact-check shows that Poulter, born in London in 1993, was just a toddler when ‘Toy Story’ premiered in 1995.

When asked about it, Poulter himself plays the age card to settle the matter whenever he’s asked about it… not that he really needs a rational argument to prove he’s not animated.

“I don’t want to be rude…. But [Toy Story came out in] 1995. I was two. And they weren’t doing it through live-action,” he clarified in his ‘GQ’ interview.

Poulter acknowledges that he only added fuel to the fire by dressing up as Sid from ‘Toy Story’ once.

Photo: Instagram - @willpoulter

“I also appreciate there’s a meme going 'round of me—I dressed up as Sid from Toy Story for anti-bullying week. So arguably I haven’t helped my case,” he said.

Despite this, and acknowledging the striking resemblance, it’s fair to say that no one particularly relishes being compared to a character as evil as Sid.

Fortunately for Poulter, time has been a faithful ally. The actor’s physical transformation and maturity have effectively distanced him from the animated ‘Toy Story’ villain.

The comparison between Poulter and Sid was perhaps more apt when the actor was in his teens, sporting a short haircut much like the animated character’s. Today, Poulter has grown taller, bulked up, let his hair grow longer, and transitioned into well-tailored suits.

Even without the Sid comparison, he told GQ that it’s “weird” that people discuss his level of physical attractiveness. “I am very comfortable and secure in the knowledge that I’m not conventionally attractive as I’ve always had remarks about looking unusual—whether it’s my eyebrows or whatever else, people have made a thing of that,” he added.

During all this chatter, Poulter has steadily added to an impressive list of credits. His roles span from ‘The Chronicles of Narnia’ (2010), ‘The Maze Runner’ (2014), ‘Detroit’ (2017), ‘Midsommar’ (2019), to ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’ (2023).

Given Poulter’s undeniable talent, physical transformation, and ascending career trajectory, it seems likely that the Sid Comparison will soon be nothing more than a quirky footnote in his successful career.

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