Tom Hanks Almost Didn’t Work with This Actor Because of His Looks
With decades in Hollywood behind him, Tom Hanks has starred in a wild amount of classic movies. Sure, everyone knows hits such as Forrest Gump, Toy Story, and You’ve Got Mail. But Hanks has a much deeper bench of rewatchable classics in his filmography. And one of them almost had a different actor in the lead. The reason? Hanks initially didn’t want to work with one star because of his looks.
Tom Hanks is beloved by both fans and his fellow actors
Few actors are as popular both on-screen and off than Hanks. For decades, his affable everyman sensibility has led to comparisons with the iconic James Stewart. And because of that, audiences have followed him from one genre to the next. In recent years, Hanks’ propensity for playing trustworthy figures has even garnered him the nickname “America’s Dad.”
Behind the scenes too, Hanks has a sterling reputation. Perhaps that’s why he has collaborated with many of the same filmmakers and fellow actors. After all, Hanks has starred in more than one film with Meg Ryan and is well known for his collaborations with Steven Spielberg. So why did the famously nice guy nearly refuse to work with one young actor?
‘That Thing You Do!’ nearly had a different actor in the lead
While casting his directorial debut That Thing You Do!, Hanks placed a great focus on bringing in promising up-and-comers. In particular, the role of Guy — drummer for the fictional 1960s pop band The Wonders — was the lead role of the film. Hanks eventually cast Tom Everett Scott in the role, but he was very hesitant to do so at first. Actor Rita Wilson — Hanks’ wife, who has a small role in That Thing You Do! — revealed why Hanks didn’t want to cast Scott.
“Tom was showing me tapes and he said nobody was quite right,” Wilson told The Ringer. “He goes, ‘Well, there’s this one guy that came in, and he’s perfect for the part. But I think people are going to think he looks too much like me.’ And I said, ‘Let me see.’ He played me the audition tape, and I was like, ‘OK, this guy is the guy. Why wouldn’t you cast this guy?’ Even if somebody said, ‘Oh, he looks like Tom. So what? He’s perfect for the role!'”
Tom Hanks went on to direct other movies too
Wilson turned out to be right, as Scott’s loveable performance — not unlike those of Hanks himself — is perhaps a big reason why That Thing You Do! has endured over the years. The film wasn’t exactly a box office hit. In fact, it barely earned back its reported $26 million budget, according to Box Office Mojo.
But it did give Hanks a whole new career as a filmmaker. While he has mostly stuck to acting, the star eventually directed his second movie in 2011’s Larry Crowne and has produced projects such as 2002’s My Big Fat Greek Wedding. Hanks even has a screenwriting credit on 2020’s Greyhound. Perhaps he’ll direct again sometime soon.
