Hollywood’s ‘good guy’ Tom Hanks is one of the most prominent stars in the industry. The legendary actor is an irreplaceable part of international pop culture, by playing characters such as Woody in the Toy Story series, Big, Cast Away, Green Mile, and Forrest Gump.
The actor has been active since the 1980s and is still going strong as a leading man. His filmography includes diverse characters. However, the actor feels that one of his breakthrough performances would not connect to people today, a role that won him his first Oscar.
How Did Tom Hanks Prepare For Philadelphia?
Written by Ron Nyswaner, Philadelphia sees Tom Hanks play Andrew Beckett, a lawyer who sues his employer for wrongful termination. He accuses them of firing him because he was a homosexual and had AIDS. Denzel Washington plays Joseph Miller, a lawyer who represents Beckett.
At the time, Hanks was known for his comedic roles in films such as Big, Splash, and Sleepless In Seattle. He was looking to play something different from his usual roles and chose to play Beckett in Philadelphia. The role went to Daniel Day-Lewis before Hanks was hired.
Talking about his choice to play Beckett in an interview with the Independent, Tom Hanks said,
“At one point in my mid-thirties when I was making an awful lot of movies about the goofy-headed guy who can’t get laid, I realized then that I had to start saying a very very difficult word to people, which was no.”
Tom Hanks lost a lot of weight for the role of Beckett, who slowly succumbs to AIDS throughout the film. The actor reportedly lost 35 pounds for the role and according to co-star Antonio Banderas, the actor was on a lettuce-only diet and did not eat for months.
Hanks also took inspiration from his own love life, taking the relationship with his wife as a jumping-off point for his love for Beckett’s partner Miguel Alvarez. He said,
“I view my wife as my lover, and we have a bond that goes beyond words like wife or girlfriend or mother. For example, I was able to construct a number of things in Philadelphia [1993] because of my relationship with Rita. The way my character felt about his lover is the way I feel about mine.”
This intense preparation paid off well for Tom Hanks as he won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of Andrew Beckett. However, the actor believes that the role would not receive similar appreciation today if he were to play it.
Why Does Tom Hanks Believe Philadelphia Would Not Work Today?
Philadelphia was one of the first mainstream films in Hollywood to have depicted homosexuality in a positive light. The fact that Tom Hanks played the role of Beckett received much appreciation from critics and he received his first Oscar for it. However, the actor says that audiences today would not be able to connect with him if he were to play the role of a gay man.
The statement comes at a time when many in Hollywood believe that characters belonging to the LGBTQ community should be played by actors belonging to the community, in order to provide equal opportunity. Tom Hanks addressed this while referring to his character in Philadelphia,
“…‘could a straight man do what I did in Philadelphia now?’ No, and rightly so,” he said. “The whole point of Philadelphia was don’t be afraid. One of the reasons people weren’t afraid of that movie is that I was playing a gay man. We’re beyond that now, and I don’t think people would accept the inauthenticity of a straight guy playing a gay guy.”
The actor also added that it was not a crime to demand more from a film in today’s realm of authenticity.
Source: Insider
