Tom Hanks has had an incredible Hollywood career, from making his acting debut with the 1980 film He Knows You’re Not Alone to this day with his most recent appearance in the sci-fi romantic comedy Asteroid City. He has gained recognition not only for his work as an actor but also as a filmmaker and is credited as an actor and director for various projects as well. One of the best works of the American actor also includes the 2000 film Cast Away.
It follows Chuck Nolan, a Fed Ex employee, who finds himself on a desolate island after a plane crash and his attempts to survive. Cast Away was a commercial and critical success, and while talking to Bill Simmons on his podcast, Hanks revealed the inspiration behind the 2000 survival drama.
Tom Hanks Revealed Inspiration Behind Cast Away
The 2000 film Cast Away follows the surviving journey of the Fed Ex systems analyst Chuck Nolan. Starring Tom Hanks in the lead, it grossed $429 million at the box office and attained an 89% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes, as they described it as a “powerful, brutal and mature story.”
The Terminal star was also praised for his performance in the film, with many even claiming that he was the “perfect actor” for the role. Talking about the inspiration behind the survival drama, he shared that he got the idea for the film from a news article.
The article was about the Fed Ex business model, under which planes filled with packages fly across the Pacific with a crew of around six people. “And I thought, what happens when one of those goes down?” And from that came the movie,” Hanks shared.
He then discussed the idea with screenwriter William Broyles Jr. However, they were still stuck on the film’s first act until Bob Zemeckis joined them and suggested the theme for act two and act three. Cast Away took years to make, under which Hanks also had to go through a physical transformation.
How Did Tom Hanks Prepare For Cast Away?
On The Bill Simmons Podcast, Tom Hanks also shared that it took years to make the 2000 survival drama Cast Away. Hanks shared that “Will Broyles and myself worked on that movie for four years” as they tried to figure out all three acts for the film.
He also went through a physical transformation after the production started. The Apollo 13 actor shared that they actually took a whole year off his physical transformation. He gained 50 pounds during the pre-production to make his transformation in the film look more authentic.
Production of the film was paused to make such a transformation possible. He lost 50 pounds and grew his beard and hair during this time to fit his character in the movie. The actor also went through the survivors’ experience, who faced harsh conditions to prepare for his role.
Cast Away is available on Prime Video.
Source: The Bill Simmons Podcast
