Truly, one of the greatest honors that can be bestowed upon a person is getting the chance to be played by Tom Hanks in a movie. Some people don’t get that honor until after they’ve died, but you have to imagine that they hear about it in whatever afterlife they find themselves in. Anyway, the latest real person that Tom Hanks is going to play in a movie—joining a list that includes Chesley Sullenberger, Jim Lovell, Ben Bradlee, Captain Richard Phillips, Walt Disney, Fred Rogers, whatever the guy’s name was in Bridge Of Spies, and Woody the cowboy—is Elvis Presley’s iconic manager Colonel Tom Parker.
This is happening in Baz Luhrmann’s untitled Presley biopic, with Variety reporting that Luhrmann wanted a star for the Colonel and a newcomer for Presley, though the King himself hasn’t been cast yet. Considering that the only person who qualifies as more of a star than Hanks is George Clooney (or maybe Chris Evans), this seems like a good choice.
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I would like to watch a movie where Tom Hank plays Michael Keaton, and Michael Keaton plays Tom Hanks and in the movie they’re making a movie where they’re both playing famous people from the 20th century.
Tom Hank sounds like what Tom Hanks’ character in ‘The Terminal’ would call Tom Hanks.
cocksucking typos.
“I say suh! This scenario looks ve’ promisin’! It’s called Harum Scarum.”
Hmmm…a rare heel turn by Mr. Hanks.
He’s starting to look like my father in ways that make me uncomfortable.
Me too. But then, I’m Chet Haze.
He’s starting to look like my father in ways that make me uncomfortable.
pecan pie…pecan pie…pecan pie
No! My dream role!
At this point I’d say his looks make him better suited to play another famous colonel from the same era…Also, this colonel thing, that’s some kind of civil war bullshit, right?
There’s a kernel of truth to that.
Oof, that’s a corny joke.
If you’ve got a better one, I’m all ears.
So a prequel to when he signed the ONEDERS?
I don’t really know why you’d need a star for Colonel Tom Parker. Is a Tom Hanks fan going to rush to the theater because he’s playing Elvis’s (is it s’s or s’?) sleazy manager? Elvis is known enough that his story could sell itself.I like Tom Hanks, but when I see him in a movie, I see Tom Hanks, not the real person he’s supposed to be playing. This really bugged me when I saw the photo of him as Mr. Rogers, because it completely took away the spirit of Mr. Rogers and his show.I wish he would just go back to playing characters. Oddly enough his trashy, far right character on SNL is some of his better acting work for me in recent years.
I’m with you. I may even have the opposite reaction in that seeing his name on the cast list just makes me think, “Great. Another Tom Hanks movie.”Maybe Hanks can guarantee a certain level of quality for most people, but I may be in the minority in thinking that he’s not so good that he can disappear in his characters. I now have trouble shaking the idea that it’s Tom Hanks, playing a character in his wheelhouse, aiming for an Oscar again. Because he has such a type, I never find myself thinking that he’ll be interesting in ‘this’ role because he’s been playing similar roles for decades. There’s no stretch.
The thing with Tom Hanks is he became popular with the public because of who he was, not because he was a wonderful actor. He was seen as likeable, sweet, funny, endearing. He was also a real contrast to many of the men in ‘80s movies – his only real competition on that front was Steve Gutenberg. I think that this is also why he was well-received in Forest Gump and Philadelphia (although I do think his performance in Philadelphia was genuinely good). I imagine as an actor it’s frustrating to have that type of career and you’d want to try new roles, instead of sitting at home with your money or playing out the same beats you know people will start to get sick of, but I don’t think it works for him anymore. I wish he’d go back into TV.
In that case, he’s the only wonderful actor to win back-to-back Oscars. He didn’t win for his best performance, in Cast Away.
Tom Hanks is an old-fashioned movie star. Like John Wayne, Cary Grant, Humphrey Bogart, etc., you’re going to see Tom Hanks as Himself. I interviewed him at the media junket for Forrest Gump and was thrilled to discover that he is exactly what you’d expect him to be: warm, gracious and funny.
I’d say on a imaginary scale of “stars”, Hanks would at least be on par with Clooney, certainly not below and would rank well above the other person named.
Baz Luhrmann, huh? Is there going to be any Elvis music in this Elvis biopic? Or just a bunch of recycled pop hits meant to INVOKE the essence of Elvis?
Interesting that they get Hollywood Nice Guy Tom Hanks to play the completely piece of shit that is Colonel Tom Parker. When your first thought upon hearing your long time associate (and presumably friend) has died is “I need to get the merch production into high gear. This shit is gonna SELL!” you can fuck right off.
What the hell is so goddamn “iconic” about Tom Parker (he was never a colonial in any military organization)? I’d swear that there exists a rule that every AV Club article must use that word at least once.
Some people don’t get that honor until after they’ve died, but you have to imagine that they hear about it in whatever afterlife they find themselves in.You have to pick a place to put the preposition and stick with it.
Hollywood may just have found a way to get me to hate Tom Hanks.