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Randy Newman plays surprise ‘You’ve Got a Friend in Me’ at Toy Story 5 premiere

10 June 2026, 17:14 | Updated: 10 June 2026, 17:21

Randy Newman and Taylor Swift sing 'You’ve Got a Friend in Me' together

By Siena Linton

The 82-year-old composer surprised audiences after being invited on stage by popstar Taylor Swift to sing a duet.

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Imagine being offered the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to attend a blockbuster film premiere, only to be surprised by not one, but two musical icons on stage!

That was the experience for guests at the U.S. premiere of Toy Story 5, as popstar Taylor Swift appeared, before inviting film composer Randy Newman to join her for a heart-warming duet of his hit song ‘You’ve Got A Friend In Me’.

Swift had just performed a solo rendition of her new song for the film, ‘I Knew It, I Knew You’. She said of Newman: “He is the king of making us feel the absolute most and pulling at our heartstrings and making us laugh.”

Newman playfully responded: “Thank you for the kind words. I deserve them.”

Now 82, the composer was 51 when he originally penned the beloved tune for the 1995 animated film Toy Story, earning Oscar and Golden Globe nominations for Best Original Song. The song has since appeared in every single film in the franchise, and the melody also functions as a leitmotif throughout Newman’s scores.

Randy Newman appears on stage for a duet with Taylor Swift at the Hollywood premiere of Toy Story 5. Picture: Alamy / The Wrap

The makers of Toy Story had initially disagreed over how the film should make use of music. Disney wanted it to be a musical film, following the success of their previous animations, but director John Lasseter and screenwriter Joss Whedon felt a Toy Story musical would feel less genuine.

They eventually agreed that the film would feature original songs, but as background music.

Randy Newman, who is part of the Newman family film music dynasty, was brought on to write the animation’s score and three brand new songs, including ‘You’ve Got A Friend In Me’, which supposedly took him just one day.