Exclusive Interview: How Pixar’s Leading Lady Kensington Tallman Is Taking Acting By Storm

We all remember the times when young stars started picking up speed and then one day, they became global icons. We’ve seen this in everyone from Selena Gomez to Olivia Rodrigo to Sabrina Carpenter. And now, ladies and gentlemen, may we introduce you to the next icon to be: Kensington Tallman.

She is the voice of Riley in Pixar’s ‘Inside Out 2’, which has already become the highest-grossing film of 2024 and one of the most successful animated movies of all time.

While she isn’t the original voice of Riley (The character was first voiced by Kaitlyn Dias), Kensington was more than prepared to take on the role as she has been living the character’s journey in real life and in real time. “I saw the first ‘Inside Out’ on my 6th birthday after I had just moved to New York City and I just remember leaving the theatre crying because I felt so connected to Riley and I really felt seen. Riley and I were going through the same things and I feel like I’ve really grown up with Riley and so to play her as a teenager is so surreal.”

Now a teenager herself, the 15-year-old is candid about the character from the film that has proved to be the most relatable to her personal life. “I mean I love all of the emotions and I feel like they are each relatable in their own different way, but I would have to say Anxiety right now because I struggle with my own anxiety, especially during the pandemic and before recording ‘Inside Out 2’. I was experiencing a lot of anxiety and I felt like that was something I should hide or be ashamed of. I felt like I was the only one. And seeing Anxiety on the big screen, having this complex emotion, and having it have a face to it, I feel like is so helpful and was such a great way for me to process my emotions in a healthy way.”

In addition to pushing a healthy mental health agenda through the film, Kensington is working hard off-screen to make sure that the once-taboo topics of health and wellness are being normalized. “I work with a charity called Girl Well, a nonprofit organization that caters to undersheltered teenage girls and we provide them with self-care kits that promote mental, physical, and emotional well-being. These give girls a great way to learn about mental health and how they can prioritize themselves because sometimes the world can be so crazy that sometimes we forget to take care of ourselves and that’s what we do at Girl Well, we advocate for mental health.”

‘Inside Out 2’ has quickly turned Kensington into a household name, but it isn’t the only project that her fans know her from. With countless Nickelodeon roles under her belt, the young actress was pushed further into stardom last year after being the leading character in the Max original series Home Sweet Rome! “I got to go to Rome for four months and film this incredible show, it’s from the creator of Hannah Montana. It focuses on my character Lucy and how she moves from America to Rome and how she has to adapt and find her way and she starts pursuing music, it is a music-driven show. I learned so much from that show, I learned about the Italian culture, and I found my voice, it was an experience of a lifetime.”

As far as the future of her career, Kensington already has her eyes on several goals that Hollywood and fans are ready for her to take on. “I would absolutely love to play a superhero character. It is my dream to be in a Marvel film or work with James Cameron on a film where you really have to use your imagination and work with green screens to create a world in your mind. Additionally, I’d love to write, direct, and produce one day. I’m writing a show with my best friend right now, so I’m working on that. I want to continue to create and aspire and this industry is such a great way for me to encourage other people through art, which is such a dream come true to be able to do that.”

Photo Credits: LYDIA CANBAKAL

Je’Kayla Crawford– Founder and Director– Je’Kayla has been a journalist for years and decided to start a publication of her own, New Scene. When not helping her team and working on the monthly issues, you can find her watching a movie on Netflix or baking using a viral Tasty recipe.