Tom Hanks revealed the one age he wouldn’t choose to be again.
The actor was recently asked by “Entertainment Tonight” if there was a specific age he portrayed in his new movie “Here” that he’d want to relive.
“No. Look, I’m 68 years old. The hardest for us was when we were playing 35,” Hanks said of working on the film. “That time where your metabolism stops, gravity starts tearing you down, your bones start wearing off, you stand differently. I think I’m in better shape now.”
Tom Hanks arrives at the 2024 AFI Fest – World Premiere Screening Of Sony Pictures’ ‘Here’ held at the TCL Chinese Theatre IMAX on October 25, 2024 in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California. Image Press Agency/NurPhoto/Shutterstock Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson at a gala at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles on Oct. 19. Getty ImagesAfter the outlet pointed out that he looks “great,” Hanks explained the reason.
“Because my kids are grown up, I’m getting decent exercise and I can eat right. You can’t do that when you’re 35. Life is such a burden!”
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The “ET” journalist quipped that everyone should get on Hanks’ plan, but Hanks downplayed it, stating: “Dude, I’m just doing what my 68-year-old, Type 2 diabetes … Just maintaining the temple, baby. That’s all I’m trying to do.”
Interestingly, Hanks worked on three projects when he was 35 in 1991, including his memorable role as Jimmy Dugan in “A League of Their Own,” released in 1992. The following year, he starred opposite Meg Ryan in “Sleepless in Seattle.”
Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson at opening night of the play “Brooklyn Laundry” at the Coronet Theater in LA in 1991. Ron Galella Collection via Getty ImagesThirty years after Hanks’ iconic role in “Forrest Gump,” the Oscar winner has now reunited with that film’s director, Robert Zemeckis, and co-star Robin Wright in “Here.”
The movie follows the story of Richard (Hanks) and Margaret (Wright), who live in the same house over the course of a century.
“The single perspective never changes, but everything around it does,” Zemeckis told Vanity Fair of the project. “It’s actually never been done before. There are similar scenes in very early silent movies before the language of montage was invented. But other than that, yeah, it was a risky venture.”
Tom Hanks at SiriusXM’s “Town Hall” Tuesday. Getty Images for SiriusXMWith the help of de-aging effects, the two are depicted in their 20s and 30s through their elderly years.
“It only works because the performances are so good,” the director continued. “Both Tom and Robin understood instantly that, ‘OK, we have to go back and channel what we were like 50 years ago or 40 years ago, and we have to bring that energy, that kind of posture, and even raise our voices higher.’ That kind of thing.”
Paul Bettany plays Richard’s dad as the movie “travels through generations, capturing the human experience in its purest form,” according to the synopsis. It’s “a tale of love, loss, laughter and life, all of which happen right ‘Here.’”
Tom Hanks attends a “Twelfth Night” performance on Jan. 6, 1991, at the Pasadena Playhouse in Pasadena, California. Ron Galella Collection via Getty ImagesRichard, who plans to become an artist, is overshadowed by his responsibilities as a husband and father in the 1970s and ’80s.
Meanwhile, Margaret senses a ticking clock, urging Richard to break free and explore the world.
“I think that the film speaks to the truth that we have to accept that everything changes,” Zemeckis explained. “Where we get in trouble is when we resist that reality of life, and then we get dug in and miss out on opportunities.”
“Here” hits theaters Friday.