“I couldn’t be a worse human being”: Tom Hanks Was Consumed by Self-Loathing After Divorcing His Ex-Wife That Made Him Turn Down $92M Movie With Meg Ryan

Although the 80s witnessed Tom Hanks rising to stardom, eventually becoming one of the biggest names in Hollywood, it was also one of the darkest periods in his life. Unlike his resume, which kept on witnessing several successful entries at the time, his personal life wasn’t going the smoothest, as he was undergoing a divorce from his first wife, Samantha Lewes.

The Forrest Gump Star was pretty young when he initially tied the knot with Lewes in 1987, sharing two children with her, and unfortunately parted ways 9 years later. But this divorce wasn’t easy on Hanks, as he got consumed by self-loathing and turned down a major project.

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Tom Hanks’ First Divorce Took a Heavy Toll on Him

After misunderstandings and complications cost Tom Hanks his first marriage, the actor was consumed by self-loathing, landing into a dark pit of depression. This resulted in the actor alienating himself from everyone, including his children, as he kept on battling depressive thoughts on a regular. Reflecting on the dark period in his life, Hanks claimed he wasn’t a good father as he made his kids feel abandoned by him during that period. The actor explained,

“Horribly painful time. Fraught with emotion and bad feelings and you know, the failures that you go ‘I couldn’t be a worse father and I couldn’t be a worse human being.’ I remember all those feelings of as though I had cursed innocent beings with my own failings. …”

But it wasn’t only his personal life that was being impacted by the divorce, Hanks also turned down a major project, which eventually cemented itself as an all-time classic.

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Tom Hanks Turned Down This Classic Following His Divorce

Widely deemed as one of the best rom-coms of all time, When Harry Met Sally… still holds a special place in the hearts of millions. But before Billy Crystal secured the role of Harry in the genre-defining movie, Tom Hanks was one of the frontrunners for the role. But considering the Saving Private Ryan Star was not in his brightest position following his divorce from Samantha Lewes, it’s reasonable why he wasn’t keen on starring in a rom-com.

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But despite losing some prominent projects, it didn’t take Tom Hanks long to bounce back, as the following years saw the actor starring in beloved classics like Forrest Gump and Philadelphia.

When Harry Met Sally… is available to stream on Apple TV.

Source: In Depth With Graham Bensinger