There’s no one who knows the craft of method acting better than Tom Hanks. He has gone to some great lengths to get into character, even if it means alienating those around him. While this approach can sometimes lead to very many problems, especially personal ones, it has also helped him deliver some of the most memorable performances in film history. One such time for Cast Away, Hanks developed a staph infection just to get into the skin of his character, both literally and figuratively.
If one were to go a year back for the movie, The Green Mile, a similar case can be observed when the actor freaked out the author Stephen King himself as he refused to step out of his character even after the movie concluded.
Tom Hanks Took Method Acting Too Far For His Cast Away Performance
For his role in Cast Away, Tom Hanks went to great lengths to physically transform himself into the character of Chuck Noland, a FedEx employee who gets stranded on a deserted island after a plane crash. Hanks lost 50 pounds and stopped bathing for several days which ultimately led to a staph infection. In addition to that he learned how to build a fire, make a raft, and fish, to achieve the look of a man who has been stranded for a long time both physically and mentally. According to news.com.au Hanks said,
“The doctor said to me, ‘What’s the matter with you, you idiot? You could have died from this thing’. Then we had to shut down production for three weeks because the doctors said, ‘No way is this kid getting in the water’,”
Despite the complications and challenges faced by him, his performance helped to make Cast Away one of the most memorable films of the 2000s. It was his sheer commitment and determination that led to a film that was highly acclaimed by both critics as well as audiences. Also earning him a nomination for the Best Actor Oscar for his performance along the way.
Tom Hanks Once Scared Stephen King as He Refused to Step Out of His Character
Another incident that occurred because Tom Hanks refused to part with his character even when the cameras weren’t rolling was during the filming of The Green Mile. The author, Stephen King himself was awestruck after Hanks took him on a tour of the prison set.
Things took a weird turn after the author tried to sit on a fake electric chair used as a set design for fun. The actor allegedly barked at him and then later cautioned him of the probable danger he could be in if keeps up his tomfoolery and is seen by his subordinates. King was initially taken aback by Hanks’ outburst, but he later realized that Hanks was simply staying in character.
Thus, although the method has time and again proved beneficial for the actor, people cannot even imagine the mental toll it takes on Hanks to reel back into reality.
Source: Collider
