Woody was created by directors and writers John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton, Pete Docter, and Joe Ranft.

Woody was designed by Bud Luckey, and is based on John Lasseter's Casper pull-string doll he had as a kid, as well as the Howdy Doody puppets from the 1950s show.

In August 2009, Toy Story 3 director, Lee Unkrich, stated in his Twitter feed that Woody's last name is Pride and has been since the making of the original movie.

Since his debut, Woody has received largely positive reception from reviewers due to his character's arc and personality, as well as Tom Hanks's vocal performance.

[3] Katzenberg thought the original draft for Toy Story was bad and told Lasseter to redo it, making it more of an odd-couple buddy picture, where the characters Tinny and Woody would be forced to bond with each other despite their different characteristics.

[4][5] The Pixar team came back with a new script three months later, with the character of Woody altered from being the tyrannical boss of Andy's toys to being their wise and caring leader.

[7] Woody was inspired by a Casper the Friendly Ghost doll that Lasseter had when he was a kid and the puppets from the children's television show Howdy Doody.

[12][13] In August 2009, Lee Unkrich, Toy Story 3 director, stated on his Twitter feed that Woody's last name is Pride and has been since earliest days of development.

[a][22] His construction includes an "original hand-painted face, natural dyed-blanket stitched vest", and "hand-stitched poly-vinyl hat".

[24] In Toy Story 2, it was revealed that he starred as the main character from a popular 1950s TV show Woody's Roundup.

While at Sid's house, Buzz becomes depressed after realizing he is an action figure, but Woody cheers him up by explaining how happy he made Andy.

While the others chose to stay at the daycare, Woody attempts to return to Andy, but instead is found and taken home by a little girl named Bonnie, who attends Sunnyside.

Woody was confirmed to be appearing in the upcoming film Toy Story 5 in an image revealed at Disney's D23 Expo.

[c] He also appears in the Andy's room sequence of Buzz Lightyear of Star Command: The Adventure Begins where he is voiced by Jim Hanks.

[27] Later, he appears in the end credit epilogue of Pixar's 2006 movie Cars as a toy station wagon voiced by Tom Hanks.

[28][12] He also appears in the three Toy Story Toons shorts Hawaiian Vacation, Small Fry, and Partysaurus Rex, which were released from 2011 to 2012.

[32][33] Woody, voiced by Jim Hanks, appears in a show called Toy Story Treats,[34] as well as the Disney+ short Lamp Life.

[37][38] A twenty-feet-tall statue of Woody can be seen at the entrance of Hollywood Studios and Hong Kong Disneyland's Toy Story Land.

[43] At Hollywood Studios, Disneyland, and Tokyo DisneySea, Woody is featured in a 4D shooting arcade ride called Toy Story Mania!.

There is also an entire section of Disney's All-Star Movies Resort dedicated to Toy Story that includes a statue of Woody.

[49] Adam Loosley appeared as Woody in Disney on Ice: Toy Story 3; it includes a "Hoedown Throwdown" scene where Woody, Jessie, and others skate dance to Miley Cyrus's song "Hoedown Throwdown" from the Disney Channel series Hannah Montana.

At the 68th Academy Awards, Woody and Buzz were left on the stage by John Lasseter after he received the Special Achievement Oscar.

[73] At the 72nd Academy Awards, Woody, Buzz, and Jessie presented the Best Animated Short Film Oscar to The Old Man and the Sea by Aleksandr Petrov.

[76][77] Geoff Loftus of Forbes stated that Woody, along with Buzz, is a great leader because even what to do, “they never stop thinking” and “never stop looking for the answer to a problem... No matter how great the crisis.”[78] Collin McCormick of Screen Rant said that Pixar has created some “unforgettable characters over the years”, but stated that Woody “might be the best of them all”.

[81] Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times expressed that Hanks "brings an invaluable heft and believability to Woody.

[83] Peter Bradshaw, film critic for The Guardian, stated Hanks's vocal work in Toy Story is one of his "most heartwarming, heartrending pieces of casting" in his career.

In a stroke of brilliant casting, Tom Hanks was chosen to provide the voice of the honest, do-gooder everyman Woody.

"[88] Declaring that Woody's "undying loyalty" is “a trait we’d all like to see in our best friends”, Hollywood Insider also ranked him the number one Pixar character.

[89] Rolling Stone ranked Woody 12th among the best Pixar characters writing, "Tom Hanks imbued the rustler [Woody] with apoplectic hilarity and made for the perfect straight man against the delusional Buzz Lightyear, but it’s the uglier aspects of his personality – envy, selfishness – that make this toy human.

[94][95] In 2019, at Lancashire, England, a woman named Lindsay Ashton wore Toy Story high-heels shoes that featured Woody on them on her wedding day.