Sweet Video Of Josh Gad's Daughter Helped Inspire Olaf's Story In 'Frozen 2'

Her heartbreaking realization that we all have to grow up will melt you faster than Olaf in a heatwave

There comes a time in everyone’s life when you realize the soul-crushing reality that we all must grow up someday. Frozen 2‘s Josh Gad shared a video of his daughter coming to this realization a few years ago, and says her heartbreakingly sweet feelings helped inspire Olaf’s storyline in the hit sequel.

The video (please, grab a tissue before hitting ‘play’) shows Gad’s daughter Ava, then five years old, shedding genuinely grief-stricken tears at the thought of growing up and not being a kid someday. A surefire kick-in-the-gut for parents everywhere, but so worth the watch.

“Four years ago, during dinner one night our beautiful little girl had a huge epiphany that shook her to her core…we all have to grow up,” Gad writes in the caption. “This heartbreaking moment is something I never shared publicly before because it was so personal.”

Little Ava is sitting with her nanny, asking why she has to be a grown-up. Gad says the nanny did a great job helping the little girl understand the “difficult ‘coming-of-age- moment” that we all experience at some point in our youth. He calls it a “reminder of the fragility of youth” — and boy is it ever.

This video is moving because as adults and parents, all of us can empathize with her panic and grief. But it also serves another important purpose — inspiration for Olaf’s trajectory in Frozen 2.

“It just so happens that I shared this video with our brilliant Frozen 2 team at the time and said, I believe this should be Olaf’s journey in Frozen 2,” he explains. “I’m beyond grateful they felt the same way because growing up is so very hard and all of us have this moment at some point in our lives.”

And now it’s a lesson for the millions of children who have seen or will see the movie. In the first movie, Olaf was brand-new to the world and his entire plane of existence. In the sequel, he’s a bit more “weathered” (see what I did there?) when it comes to how life works.

Also, can we just take a minute to applaud the nanny for her expert guidance here? Her answer about being a grownup was age-appropriate, honest, and still gave the little existentialist-in-training enough inspiration to maybe even look forward to growing up.

“I’m also beyond thankful that we were able to capture such a monumental moment and that I can share it now with all of you who either have children or were once children asking that very same question…’why do I have to be a grownup?'” Gad concludes his post. “Hope you take from it as much as I have.”