“You guys are the wrong gender to understand”: Tom Hanks Went Off the Rails in One Meg Ryan Movie That Made Him Extremely ‘Cranky’

Tom Hanks has impressed the audience with his spectacular acting performances that greatly flaunted his versatility. However, the Catch Me If You Can actor also faced a moment or better say, a project in his prominence era that made him extremely cranky. The movie in question is his 1993 rom-com flick, Sleepless in Seattle which he did alongside Meg Ryan. [caption id="attachment_455185" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Tom Hanks, Meg Ryan, and Ross Malinger in Sleepless in Seattle (1993)[/caption] Also Read: Tom Hanks Was Exhausted After He Was Given an Impossible Job in One of the Best Christmas Movies Ever: ‘The Polar Express’ The film went on to become one of the most successful romantic comedies in box office history. However, this success is a result of several small moments including his grumpy attitude when he started filming the project. Tom Hanks Revealed He Was Cranky Due to His Stardom As Filming for Sleepless in Seattle Began [caption id="attachment_455195" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Tom Hanks in Sleepless in Seattle[/caption] Also Read: “If you just jump off the train…”: Austin Butler Landed ‘Masters of the Air’ After Tom Hanks Became Concerned About His Mental Health In an interview with The New Yorker, Tom Hanks recalled his time filming his hit rom-com flick, Sleepless in Seattle opposite Meg Ryan. He revealed that he had a cranky attitude at the beginning of the movie due to his big-star status. He recalled how he met the film director, Nora Ephron with a cranky attitude. "I was very cranky, particularly when I first met her to do Sleepless in Seattle, because I was really big and, you know, I had some hits under my belt." Having made his breakthrough in the 1980s with leading roles in a series of comedy films, he transitioned to several genres to prove his mettle as an actor. That not only gave him prominence but an A-list status. In an excerpt from the book, I'll Have What She's Having in NY Daily News, he further called himself an "extremely cranky actor at the time." He added, "'Why does the kid have so many good lines?' I had made enough movies to get smoked on a couple of occasions as well as thinking that I was a big shot and 'My voice must be heard.'" However, in the New Yorker interview, he clarified that his cranky nature was somewhat of the result of having creative issues with the movie director for his character. Tom Hanks Had a Different Point of View for His Character in Sleepless in Seattle [caption id="attachment_455200" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Tom Hanks in Sleepless in Seattle[/caption] Also Read: Tom Hanks Hazes Timothée Chalamet After Dune Actor Became Starstruck In Front of Cher and Julia Roberts In the interview, he talked about finding the director, "intimidating" realizing that she was unable to comprehend the bond he wanted for his character, Sam Baldwin, and his son. He shared, "We got together, and we were going to make this movie about a guy and a kid and a la di da di da—Sleepless in Seattle. And she was very intimidating, right off the bat. When we were working on the rehearsals for it, I realized that one of the things that was driving me nuts about the project is that Nora and Delia Ephron, who helped on the screenplay, are—-sisters, but they are also mothers. It was a movie about a father. And I said, ‘You guys are the wrong gender to understand what’s going on in this scene between me and my son.’" However, he clarified that the director was open to suggestions and acknowledged the differences he felt with his character, "And she loved it. He continued, "And the argument I had was, ‘You have written a scene in which a father is undone by the fact that his son is upset about him going out with a woman.’ Oh, no. I said, ‘There is not a father on the planet Earth who is gonna give a rat’s a-s what his son thinks about him going out with a woman. Because you know what that father wants to do? He wants to get laid. And that’s what’s missing from your little gender-ish scene that you wrote.’ And she said, ‘Well, then, why don’t you say that?’ That was a very empowering moment. She would often say this: ‘Well, when you’re right, you’re right.’" Eventually, his inputs were not only considered but implemented in the movie and their creativity as a whole made the character further charming. The movie ended up grossing over $227 million worldwide, which is now available to watch on AMC.