Although renowned actor Tom Hanks has graced the screens of some of the world’s best-loved movies, there are a few he doesn’t particularly enjoy.
The acclaimed actor, now 66-years-old, has been in numerous hit films including Cast Away, The Green Mile, Elvis, Terminal, and A Man Called Otto, among many others.
Hanks’ performances in Forrest Gump and Philadelphia won him two Oscars for best actor, and his long-standing career has been decorated with numerous awards. Yet, despite these accolades, he recalls facing ‘challenging days’ while filming certain movies.
In a recent interview with the New Yorker, Hanks was questioned about previous remarks suggesting he is bothered by the thought of someone ‘disliking’ a film.
‘Let’s face it: We’ve all seen films that we loathe,’ said the actor. ‘I’ve been in some films that I don’t like as well. We’ve watched my films, and you dislike some of them.’
Although Hanks did not mention any specific films he was dissatisfied with, he noted that there are five key ‘Rubicon’ turning points in each film’s journey. These include deciding to accept a role, getting to watch the final product, and how successful the film becomes.
The fifth key milestone is ‘time,’ he said, referencing the famous 1946 film It’s A Wonderful Life, which gained a cult status long after its original release.
‘One example is my film “That Thing You Do!” which I wrote and directed. I loved the whole process of making it,’ he remembered. ‘I appreciated everything about it, including the people involved. However, upon its release, the public disregarded it.
‘It didn’t do well at the box office and it seemed to linger for a bit. The film was seen as a strange imitation of several other films and a pleasant trip down the memory lane.
‘Interestingly, the very same publications that wrote it off initially are now calling it “Tom Hanks’s cult classic, That Thing You Do!” So, it’s now seen as a cult classic. What brought about this change? Time was the factor.’
In response to whether he can predict the excellence of a movie while filming, Hanks said, ‘No. The process is too slow and meticulous for anyone to predict. It comes down to just faith and hope. The entire process needs to be entrusted to the colleagues who are expected to deliver their best later on.’
Despite featuring in countless movies over the years, Hanks recently complained about one of his significant works not receiving deserved recognition.
In the 2002 thriller Road To Perdition, he plays Michael Sullivan, a hitman on the run after his young son witnesses his boss’s murder, struggling to balance loyalty to his team and the need to protect his child.
Speaking on the Reelblend podcast, he remarked: ‘For some reason, Road to Perdition doesn’t get mentioned often, even though making that film was an important experience for me.
‘The film was shot by Conrad Hall and has not just me and Don Moustache in hat-tipping roles, but also boasts of two leading figures in cinematic history – Jude [Law] and Daniel [Craig]. And I’ve killed both of them in the movie…’
‘People often speculate about which movies will still be talked about years from now.’
‘As someone who frequently watches Turner Classic Movies, I find less-known movies from 1940s or 1950s especially intriguing because I have no preconceptions about them; I hardly know anything about them prior to watching.
‘When such films turn out to be engaging and emotionally touching, I can only think, “I’m so glad this film will always be there for me to rediscover.” This might just be the case with Road To Perdition.’
