Accepting change Tom Hanks reflected on his lengthy career in a new interview, and he admitted that he probably wouldn’t take one of his Oscar-winning roles today.
“Let’s address, ‘Could a straight man do what I did in Philadelphia now?’ No, and rightly so,” the Captain PhillipsStar, 65, told The New York Times in a Q&A published on Monday, June 13. “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.”
TheUncommon TypeFor his performance in the 1993 film, in which he also starred, author won an Academy Award as best actor. Denzel Washington. Hanks played Andrew Beckett, a lawyer who hides his AIDS diagnosis and his homosexuality from his coworkers because he’s afraid it could compromise his career. Andrew sues for discrimination against the company after he was fired by the firm.
Hanks believes that Andrew was cast because the movie was one the earliest mainstream portrayals of the HIV/AIDS crisis. The Forrest GumpFor his work in, star was already loved by audiences across the nation. Big, SplashAnd he was also a safe casting choice for a potentially controversial flick.
“One of the reasons people weren’t afraid of that movie is that I was playing a gay man,” the California native explained on Monday. “We’re beyond that now, and I don’t think people would accept the inauthenticity of a straight guy playing a gay guy.”
The Bosom Buddies alum went on to note that he’s not at all upset by the changing cultural standards that might make it difficult for him to play Andrew now. “It’s not a crime, it’s not boohoo, that someone would say we are going to demand more of a movie in the modern realm of authenticity,” he said. “Do I sound like I’m preaching? I don’t mean to.”
Hanks previously spoke out about his. PhiladelphiaRolle in the 1995 documentary The Celluloid ClosetThe history of LGBTQIA+ characters in films was explored in.
“There is this constant desire on the part of the studios to make characters likable,” the ElvisActor explained. “My screen persona is pretty much nonthreatening. I have never been one to strike fear into anybody’s hearts when I enter the room or first appear on screen. Because of this [that persona]This is why the idea of a gay man living with AIDS isn’t scary. It’s something else, but it doesn’t have to be scary. You don’t have to be threatened by this man’s presence. And part of it is because little Tommy Hanks is playing the role.”
Writer Ron NyswanerHe was nominated because of his work on the Philadelphiascreenplay explained that the movie needed stars who could attract attention to the subject matter.
“We felt that we would fail if our movie played to people who already think that discrimination against people with AIDS is wrong, or people who already believe that people shouldn’t discriminate against homosexuals,” the Painted VeilIn the documentary, screenwriter, 65, stated. “If our movie only played to people who thought just like we do, we would have done nothing very significant.”
