Tom Hanks is an Academy award-winning actor who has pretty much done it all in the movies. He’s played an astronaut, a shipwrecked Fed-Ex employee, a social media mogul (who was not based at all on Mark Zuckerburg), a soldier, and of course, a Forrest Gump. Hanks has a unique talent as an actor in making his characters relatable and likable. That’s kind of important for actors, believe it or not. Hanks can play romantic leads, comedic, and dramatic roles all in the same movie. He’s as versatile an actor as there ever was in Hollywood. And after over 35 years on the silver and small screen, Hanks still captivates audiences all over the world.
I think his secret lies in a sort of childlike innocence he seems to exude. There’s a sense of wonder that really translates into his acting. One example of this is, of course, one of his most famous movies, Forrest Gump. But another great example is the movie “Big,” where Hanks plays a young boy who one day makes a secret wish to become a grown-up or “to be big.” The child is then magically turned into, well, basically Tom Hanks, who then sets off on a crazy (and entirely implausible) adventure in which he somehow moves to New York, rents an apartment, and lands a job as data cruncher at a toy firm. Don’t ask how he managed all this without valid identification, job skills, etc. (Seriously, just don’t think about it, it will drive you nuts). The “big” scene in the movie happens when Hanks plays chopsticks on a giant walking piano with the owner of the company he works for. Naturally, the owner takes a shine to him, and of course, this translates into a huge promotion. Ah, see? There you go again, thinking about logic and stuff.
Images Via YouTube
A couple of years ago, Hanks was a guest on the “Jonathan Ross Show,” where the host asked him if he would be so kind as to recreate the famous scene from the movie. They even had a walking piano for him to play on. Of course, Hanks was game to play a few notes for the fans. But soon, he was surprised by a special guest. It was none other than his former co-star Sandra Bullock. Together the two played chopsticks on the big piano.
Images Via YouTube
This clip just goes to show you why folks love Tom Hanks and Sandra Bullock. They are just so much fun!
