Given the persistent economic and social instability of the last twenty years, it's widely understood that many young individuals currently experience feelings of disorientation, fear, and worry, with lack hope for the future being a primary concern. In a comprehensive conversation on Amy Poehler’s podcast, Good Hang, published on Tuesday, actress Maya Hawke, aged 27, discussed her struggles with anxiety and the surprising strength derived from portraying a highly relatable animated character in a contemporary movie.
TL;DR
- Maya Hawke believes anxiety defines our current era, especially for young people.
- Portraying Anxiety in Inside Out 2 helped Hawke understand and accept her own anxious thoughts.
- Hawke's portrayal of Anxiety has made many, including children, feel seen and understood.
- Inside Out 2 is praised for normalizing anxiety and showing challenging feelings can be beneficial.
Anxiety voice actor Hawke, from Disney-Pixar's 2024 film Inside Out 2,, shared with Poehler, the voice of Joy in the Inside Out films, that “anxiety might be the defining emotion of our time.” This remark was made while discussing her takeaways from portraying the stressed-out orange character in the massive sequel, which grossed over $1.67 billion worldwide, making it the top-earning animated movie ever.
Hawke, the Gen Z daughter of iconic Gen X actors Uma Thurman and Ethan Hawke, explained how portraying Anxiety fundamentally shifted her relationship with her own anxious thoughts. “I think with, like, the joy-anxiety relationship, it taught me a lot about showing love to that part of myself,” Hawke said. “And that is all actually a way to calm it down: inviting it into the conversation.”
Hawke stated that the most significant lesson she gained from producing the movie was “to give my anxiety a comfy chair.”
Poehler agreed with Hawke’s assessment about anxiety’s prevalence in contemporary life. “Everybody is so stressed,” Poehler said on the podcast.
“I mean, anxiety might be the defining emotion of our time,” Hawke replied.
The conversation comes as mental-health challenges affect a significant portion of younger Americans. Recent research shows nearly half of Gen Zers report feeling anxious frequently, with 47% of those ages 12 to 26 saying they often or always feel anxious, according to a 2023 Gallup survey. A 2025 study found 46% of Gen Zers have received a formal mental-health diagnosis, with anxiety being the most common condition.
Hawke shared with Poehler that portraying Anxiety has been significant due to the audience reactions she's experienced.
“I’ve had so many people feel so seen by it and, like, little kids feel so seen by it—and it helped them understand their brain better,” she said.
She stated she's fine with fans requesting the Anxiety voice, even for private messages to kids facing tough times.
“I’ll get a call from a parent,” Hawke said. “And be like, ‘Hey, would you do a recording, my kid’s going through this hard time, would you record something in the voice for my kid?’ And I’ll be like, ‘Sure!’”
The film's portrayal of mental health also struck a chord with professionals. Mental-health specialists praised Inside Out 2 for normalizing anxiety, highlighting how challenging feelings can be beneficial rather than something to be suppressed.
During the podcast, Hawke and Poehler also discussed the importance of making space for both joy and anxiety during challenging times. “You’re not helping anybody if you shut out joy completely,” Hawke said.
You can watch the full conversation with Maya Hawke and Amy Poehler below.