What It's Like to Become a Pixar Character: We Asked Inside Out's Kaitlyn Dias

From Toy Story's amiable cowboy Woody to Brave's feisty heroine Merida, we can always count on Disney Pixar characters to tug at our heartstrings. The studio's latest animated masterpiece Inside Out might make you shed a tear (Mindy Kaling told us she cried three times!), but it's also a hilarious peek into all of the other crazy emotions that go on inside our head.

Newcomer Kaitlyn Dias is the voice of 11-year-old Riley, a happy pre-teen that is the star and setting of the film since most of it takes place in her mind. When her family moves from Minnesota to San Francisco, Riley struggles to find her footing and her emotions take over in the form of Anger (Lewis Black), Fear (Bill Hader), Joy (Amy Poehler), Disgust (Mindy Kaling), and Sadness (Phyllis Smith).

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"When I got the call that they wanted me to be Riley, I was bouncing off the walls," remembers Dias, who is now 16. "At first I thought it was crazy that my voice was coming from that little face, but if you look at Riley you can really see the similarities," she says. "And she definitely has my goofball personality! I'm exactly like that."

Dias recorded her voice-overs separately from the cast, so getting to know her hilarious co-stars at the L.A. premiere was also a dream. "I really look up to Amy Poehler," says the actress, who wore a Marchesa dress for her first major red carpet. "I love that she is so supportive of other women who are just trying to make their way in the world."

Watch the Trailer for Disney Pixar's Inside Out: