A detail from behind-the-scenes of the computer-animated film Monster's Inc. s the popular opinion of Boo being Pixar's most adorable character. The 2001 crowd-puller presented a vast and entertaining cast of monsters, but it was the young child, Boo, who arguably stole the hearts of audiences and fans. Boo is introduced when Monster's Incorporated worker James P. Sullivan (John Goodman) and right-hand monster, Mike Wazowski (Billy Crystal), set out to return her safely to the human-world, from which she fortuitously escaped, before rival Randall (Steve Buscemi) or the Child Detection Agency (CDA) capture her for good.
In their adventure, Boo steals the hearts of Mike and Sully as well - her perseverance, adorable giggles, and cute as a button monster disguise make them realize that children aren't harmful to the monsters of Monstropolis, and they make it their mission to understand the CDA and Monster's Incorporated's methods of scaring children for profit. Her charming influence even stretches beyond Monstropolis and into the Pixar universe, as Boo has surfaced in intricate fan theories and her endearing voice is surprisingly utilized in Pixar's 2015 animation Inside Out. Despite this little one's impact, there still remains one behind-the-scenes detail that solidifies Boo as Pixar Animated Studios' cutest character.
Boo Was Played By A Real 2-Year-Old
Boo was played by Mary Gibbs, who was only two years old at the time of voicing her character counterpart for Monster's Inc. Daughter of one of Pixar's very own, animator and director Rob Gibbs, Mary functioned alongside her father as essential figures in the creation of the animated film. However, because she was so young at the time of production, it wasn't particularly easy to record her dialogue and she couldn't sit still in the recording booth.
This prompted the production team to follow and chase after her much like the adorable scenes Sully and Boo have running around together in Monster's Inc. As a result, many of the moments captured by recording artists are completely organic in a way rarely portrayed on screen. This makes Boo one of, if not the cutest character Pixar has created.
Boo's Improvised Monster's Inc Dialogue Makes Her Cute
Believe it or not, Mary Gibbs' relationship to the film gets cuter. Because Mary was always in motion and the crew had to keep up with her, much of Boo's dialogue is improvised recordings of Mary Gibbs simply playing or reacting to prompts and props from the team. As none of her lines were scripted or prepared for, Mary was the perfect embodiment of the young Boo, and her performance landed in Pixar's history.
Mary had as much influence as Boo did for Pixar that production included a small Easter egg in Monster's Inc that reveals Boo's name to be the same as the young voice actress. The reveal is small and very short-lived in Monster's Inc., but proves just how important Mary and Boo were in the making of the movie. Monster's Inc. is a staple in Pixar animation, but Boo is without a doubt Pixar's cutest creation.
