Tom Hanks addresses Woody's bald spot in Toy Story 5

Tom Hanks has explained why his character Woody has a bald spot in Toy Story 5.

In the trailer for the upcoming Pixar animation, the toy sheriff Woody removes his cowboy hat to reveal a bald spot at the back of his head. Sunlight bounces off the hairless patch and into the eyes of his fellow toys, temporarily blinding them.

Addressing the viral moment in an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Woody voice actor Hanks explained that it was caused by general wear and tear.

"He has been played with to excess," the 69-year-old said. "You put a rubber hat on top of a rubber head again and again and again and again, something's gonna chafe. So, yeah, he does have... let's say a worn area on the back of his head."

He also jokingly addressed Woody's slightly different body shape, adding, "He is not shaped plastic. He is made of stuffing and cloth, and that stuff settles over time."

Hanks, who has voiced Woody ever since 1995, returns alongside Tim Allen as Buzz Lightyear, Joan Cusack as Jessie, Tony Hale as Forky and Keanu Reeves as Duke Caboom, among others. Newcomers include Conan O'Brien as Smarty Pants and Greta Lee as Lily Pad.

Reflecting on his five-film run with the franchise, the two-time Oscar winner admitted that the recording process hasn't changed much over the past 30 years.

"Over the course of five movies, we've gone back to the same confines, and it's the same geometry," he shared. "The mic is here, the stand is there, the team is there. They might have some props or what have you, but if you could have taken me at any point in all of the recording of all of these, I experienced the same anxiety, pressure, physical demands of it. So there actually is a familiar sameness."

Toy Story 5, which sees the toys competing with technology for attention, will be released on 19 June.