Not only is Tom Hanks one of the best actors the industry has seen, but he is also a total and complete sweetheart. He seems like the kind of guy who wouldn’t hesitate before giving you a much-needed pep talk or a piece of valuable advice. And just like his real-life persona, the characters he plays reflect similar characteristics.
From Forrest Gump to You’ve Got Mail, Tom Hanks has played roles that make our hearts leap with joy. Therefore, the actor will very rarely be seen in villainous roles as he simply does not believe that he can be a good bad guy. According to Tom Hanks, villains need to have a strong degree of evil in them and as far as he is concerned, he cannot fake that.
Tom Hanks Cannot Play an Evil Character
While Tom Hanks has played an occasional antagonist, he has never been a full-blown villain. Why? Well, he simply cannot make anyone feel afraid of him! In a 2019 interview with New York Times, Hanks stated,
“I realized a long time ago that I couldn’t make anyone afraid. That’s not to say that my character is necessarily sympathetic. I think I could play a mysterious role, but it won’t be that bad. I can never understand them, because antagonists, in general, require a certain degree of malevolence that I can’t fake.”
It looks like despite being an actor at the top of the pyramid, Hanks just cannot get himself to play an innately evil character. We aren’t complaining as long as we get to see him in more lovable roles!
Why Did Tom Hanks Play a Villain in Elvis
Despite his views on playing the villain, Hanks ended up playing one in the 2022 film, Elvis. So, what was it that made him change his mind? Did he get tired of playing the nice guy and finally wanted to be the one to fear? Well, not exactly. Hanks played the role of Colonel Parker, Elvis’ evil manager, and did so only because he can.
Hanks was tired of getting tired of questions about why he only does the roles that he does and wanted to shut them up, once and for all. He told Variety,
“My current plan is, I’m about to go to Australia to work with Baz Luhrmann…The plan is, I am playing Colonnel Tom Parker, and silence all you stupid questions about why I will never play a bad guy.”
He then talked about Keanu Reeves and how he is “so well liked,” just like Hanks. The actor stated that he and Reeves both believe that this is much better than the alternative. He concluded stating, “I’d rather be appreciated than loathed.” Well, that’s Hanks for you!
You can stream Elvis on HBO Max.
Source: The New York Times
