Tom Hanks is one of the most highly-regarded actors in showbiz, and watching him perform on the silver screen is an absolute reward for fans, as he has a knack for portraying his parts realistically. Hanks built a juggernaut for himself. He has played versatile roles on the silver screen and entertained his fans with his acting genius in his decades-long career. The legendary actor has collaborated with some of the finest creative visionaries in the entertainment industry and earned top billings with his powerful acting skills.
He has made his head-turning appearance on the popular American late-night live television sketch comedy Saturday Night Live, where actors, comedians, and artists performed comedy-caustic and funny sketches. The actor once revealed that he took permission from the renowned stand-up comedian Jerry Seinfeld to use his infamous sock joke in his SNL skit.
Tom Hanks Recalled His “Stand-Ups” SNL Skit
Tom Hanks is a terrific actor whose charismatic on-screen person and down-to-earth nature have won him millions of fans worldwide. The actor has starred in dozens of movies and shows that have helped him establish himself as a leading star in the film industry.
According to reports, his films have amassed over $4.9 billion in North America and more than $9.96 billion worldwide, making him one of the most highly-paid A-list actors in showbiz. Hanks has been in the movie business for decades, during which the actor has touched many milestones, achieved tremendous success, and earned a fortune.
The Money Pitt star, who has appeared on SNL several times, once recalled his skit on the show when he did an intriguing sketch titled Stand-Ups, co-starring Jon Lovitz, Dennis Miller, and Dana Carvey, in which they depicted how comedians talked behind the camera in the same voice they used while on-stage. The actor shared that Robert Smigel pitched a comedian Jerry Seinfeld’s famous socks joke for which he had to ask Seinfeld’s permission to use it.
Tom Hanks Asked Jerry Seinfeld To Use His Joke in His SNL Skit
In a candid interview, Tom Hanks revealed that to use Jerry Seinfeld’s infamous socks joke, he took his permission. On Fly on the Wall with Dana Carvey and David Spade podcast, the actor shared,
“Robert Smigel, absolutely genius, he said, ‘Listen, I wrote this thing about comedians who always [say] ‘I mean, come on, I mean, hey, why would they do that? He wrote in a joke that was, ‘Hey, what’s the deal with socks?’”
He continued,
“Dennis Miller, comedian par excellence says, ‘Hey man, that’s Jerry Seinfeld’s material. You can’t take that from him. He was adamant. ‘You cannot take a comic’s A grade bit and blow it out on TV. He’ll never be able to use it again.’ Smigel was like, ‘Oh, it’s old. He won’t miss it.’ He said, ‘No, man, you can’t do this.’”
Hanks shared that he called Seinfeld to take his permission to use his joke and told him,
“Hey, you’re famous, I’m famous, so we can talk to each other like we know each other. It was all a lie. I said, ‘Listen, I’m on SNL. We’re doing this thing about comedians. I’m like ‘Hey, what’s the deal with socks?’ But if you’re still doing the sock bit, we’ll come up with some other joke.’”
Tom Hanks said that it was very gracious of Jerry Seinfeld to allow him to act his joke in his skit, which is popular to date, as fans of the star still fondly remember his intriguing sketches on SNL featuring him alongside famous comedians.
Source: Fly on the Wall podcast
