Tom Hanks has not just appeared in some iconic films throughout his career, he has also aced his performances. Yet there were times when the actor couldn’t complete his role due to some issues. Previously, in one of Hanks’s epic films, he was supposed to act throughout the film, but it did not just require him to play the role, as the role demanded a switch in character.
Hanks was supposed to play the role of an old man in the film, but due to some bizarre reason, he couldn’t complete that part. However, the director saved the film by arranging a perfect cast for the role.
Tom Hanks couldn’t complete his role
Tom Hanks appeared in the 1999 crime-drama film The Green Mile. The film, directed by Frank Darabont, was based on Stephen King’s 1996 novel of the same name. Hanks played the role of death row executioner Paul Edgecomb, and as per the demand for this role, Hanks was supposed to appear both as a young and an old man, which will depict the before and after lives of Edgecom.
The movie starts in reverse order, where retired Edgecomb becomes emotional while watching a film as it reminds him of his early days. Edgecomb then starts narrating his tale to his companion, Elaine.
To maintain the authenticity of the film, Darabont decided that Hanks should play Edgecomb throughout the movie without making any changes to the cast. However, something else was written in the film’s fate, as Hanks couldn’t play the part of old Edgecomb due to a very bizarre reason.
The actor explained that his makeup test to play the old man didn’t work out. The actor said,
“Frank was anxious to do a lot of tests and we did two huge days of all-day makeup tests because it takes about 6 hours to get into that stuff. We did two different versions of it and on a still photograph it looked fantastic. And if I was sitting in a chair all by myself, it looked fantastic, but as soon as you brought in the real actors or put me in a rest home with a bunch of other folks, the authenticity and the credibility of the film was going to be leached right out.”
Since all the ways to show Hanks as an old man failed, the director decided to cast Dabbs Greer to play the role of retired Edgecomb. Hanks also agreed with the casting, and in fact, he was quite impressed by Darabont’s dedication to work as he found an excellent fit for the role. Hanks said,
“Being a filmmaker, it’s a bold choice. He doesn’t know if he can go off and find a guy to play old Paul Edgecomb. When he did it was an amazing shuffle of the deck. You couldn’t imagine doing it any other way. He was Paul Edgecomb as much as I was.”
Darabont’s film was well acclaimed by the audience, and it was also nominated for an Academy Award. Moreover, Hanks also claims that The Green Mile is one of his favorite movies of his career.
Tom Hanks claims The Green Mile to be his best screenplay
The list of Tom Hanks‘ best performances is seemingly endless, and it’s indeed a task to choose one among them. However, the actor is very clear about his preference. Previously, the Forrest Gump actor claimed that The Green Mile was one of his best films. The actor said,
“The screenplay read almost like a graphic novel would. You could see every frame; you could see every face; you could see every moment played out, and for that reason, I think it was truly the best example—it was probably the best screenplay I’d ever read.”
Tom Hanks is certainly right here, as the movie got nominated for an Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay.
Source: Cheatsheet
