Jessie's "Abraham Lincoln" line in Toy Story 2 may have a weird hidden meaning related to Woody's voice actor, Tom Hanks. In Toy Story 2, during a yard sale at Andy's house, Woody gets stolen by a man named Al (Wayne Knight), who collects merchandise from Woody's Roundup, an old television series in the Toy Story universe that originated Tom Hanks' character. Al takes the cowboy back to his apartment, where he is greeted by the rest of the Woody's Roundup figures, Jessie (Joan Cusack), Stinky Pete the Prospector (Kelsey Grammer), and their horse, Bullseye.
The arrival of Woody (who was originally Toy Story's villain) elicits an exciting welcome from the trio, as it means they will get to move to a Japanese toy museum due to their high value. After meeting Woody and celebrating his arrival, Jessie exclaims: "Prospector said someday you'd come... Sweet mother of Abraham Lincoln!" Though the line appears to be simply a random saying meant to express Jessie's unbridled excitement, it could have a hidden meaning. The character's oddly specific reference to Lincoln's family may be a nod to Tom Hanks himself.
Jessie's "Abraham Lincoln" Line Explained
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Jessie's line could be a reference to Hanks being related to the 16th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln. Tom Hanks is famously related to Mister Rogers, whom he portrayed in the A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood movie, but he also has presidential ancestry via Lincoln's mother, Nancy Hanks Lincoln, who passed away in 1818 at the age of 34. According to the Daily Mail, Hanks once explained his connection to the former Head of State, revealing his family was relatives of Nancy Hanks' family:
"I'm related to Abraham Lincoln. His mother was called Nancy Hanks, and the members of my branch of the family are either cousins or in-laws or poor relations. [...] So, when I was at school, guess which president I was always doing essays on."
That was later corroborated by Hanks' son, Colin Hanks, during an appearance on the Rachael Ray Show. With that, Jessie's line seems too specific to be a coincidence. While Tom Hanks being related to Lincoln was publicly acknowledged in 2012, the actor stated he had known since childhood. Therefore, it's possible that the creatives of Toy Story 2 were aware of that connection and included it in the film as an Easter egg. With that said, that's not been explicitly stated by the people behind the Toy Story sequel (which was almost deleted).
Toy Story 2's Abe Line Would Be A Wild Coincidence
Despite the surprising connection between Jessie's dialogue and Hanks' family tree, there is the possibility that the saying wasn't a reference at all. The intention of the line was to communicate Jessie's extreme excitement. She had been awaiting the opportunity to leave for a long time, and meeting Woody, the missing piece of her long-awaited journey, evoked an uncontrolled response from her. Having an expression as random as "Sweet mother of Abraham Lincoln!" was a fitting way to convey such emotions. Thus, the line could have been written specifically for that, as opposed to paying homage to Hanks' roots.
On the other hand, Pixar movies are well-known for their Easter eggs, many of which are obscure or inside jokes. One of the most prominent ones, for example, is the "A113" Easter egg, a reference to a California Institute of the Arts classroom. Taking that into consideration, the fact that Jessie mentioned Abraham Lincoln's mother to the character played by the actor who's related to her could be another case of Pixar's well-placed nods. Yet, without a confirmation from the studio or Tom Hanks himself, the true origin of Jessie's "Lincoln" line in Toy Story 2 remains a mystery.