Artist Profile: Kensington Tallman on Voicing Riley in ‘Inside Out 2’

Almost a decade after the success of the first “Inside Out,” “Inside Out 2” has broken records as the highest-grossing animated film of all time so far. The sequel picks up two years after the original, with a teenage Riley facing all the triumphs and challenges that come with growing up — including hanging out with her two best friends, trying to secure a spot on the high school hockey team, and handling embarrassing social interactions.

Providing Riley’s voice is no small feat, but 16-year-old Kensington Tallman does it with apparent ease. Tallman’s journey with performing arts began at eight years old, when she accompanied her younger brother to a modeling audition. The casting director, thinking Tallman was auditioning too, invited her to try out for a role. She ended up getting it.

“From that moment, I knew that this was something that I wanted to do,” Tallman said. “Just being in front of the camera, being able to express myself in a really creative media, was so fun.”

After moving to Los Angeles, Tallman began taking acting lessons and auditioning for more roles. She booked her first TV role at 11 years old, and about a year later, she enrolled in voiceover classes, unknowingly setting upon a course that would lead her to the role of Riley.

Having grown up with the original “Inside Out,” Tallman felt that Riley had a large influence on her life. She collaborated with a dialect coach and watched the first movie before each recording session to help her stay true to the character’s authenticity while also “bringing [her] own uniqueness to Riley” — especially since the character underwent significant changes between the two films, as was apparent in the new emotions she develops in the sequel.

“I was really able to bring my own experiences with anxiety to Riley, and I’ve had so many teens come up to me and just say how relatable she is,” Tallman said. “She really helped me with processing my own anxiety and my own mental health.”

Since the release of “Inside Out,” Tallman has been amazed by the impact it has had on all types of people, from children to adults. The bridging of this generational gap is one of the reasons she believes the film is so special.

“[The film is] helping adults have the language to express their emotions and heal their trauma that they went through as teens, and then use that and influence their own kids and their own grandkids,” Tallman said. “And it’s giving our young kids and our teens the language to express their feelings in a positive and safe and healthy way, which I think has never really been done before.”

Above all, Tallman hopes that audience members will watch the movie and know they are not alone, as feelings of isolation or anxiety are an almost universal experience.

“Especially for teenagers and young adults, we try so hard to fit in. And I think that’s a concept that I’ve really struggled with, but “Inside Out 2” has shown me that I just get to be myself,” Tallman said.

The most challenging scene for Tallman to record was one in which Riley has a panic attack and questions her self-worth. It resonated deeply with Tallman, as she had had thoughts similar to Riley’s in the past. Performing this scene reinforced her belief that mental health is a crucial topic that needs to be openly discussed.

Tallman is excited to reprise her role as Riley in the spin-off series “Dream Productions,” which explores how Riley's dreams come to life. Eventually, she hopes to write, produce, and perhaps even direct her own projects while continuing to advocate for mental health.

Tallman seeks to empower her audience through her work, just as she has done in “Inside Out 2.” For her, the ability to inspire people around the world is “truly the greatest gift.” Inside Out 2 is now available on Disney+.

—Staff writer Elizabeth E. Choi can be reached at elizabeth.choi@thecrimson.com.