The actor said the role wouldn’t have the modern level of authenticity if so
Philadelphia is an iconic movie that won Tom Hanks an Oscar. But the actor says that if he were offered the role in the present day, he would not accept it, and he will be right in doing so. Let’s read about the full talk in detail.
Tom Hanks On Modern Movies
Philadelphia starred Tom Hanks as a gay man who is dying of Aids. In an interview with New York Times Magazine to promote the new Elvis Presley biopic, Hanks said that both Philadelphia and Forrest Gump were timely movies which you cannot make now.
He elaborated the statement, asking if a straight man can do what he did in Philadelphia now. The answer is no, and rightfully so. The reason people at the time weren’t afraid of the movie was because a straight man in real life was playing a gay character. The industry has moved past all that, and people care about authenticity and accurate representation. So they will call the movie out if a straight guy is playing a gay guy.
Criticism To His Opinion
Tom Hanks’ statement was met with scepticism online as many said that straight men are continuing to portray gay characters and are still attracting Oscar buzz. Examples include Ewan McGregor recently winning an Emmy for the Netflix miniseries Halston, and Bradley Cooper currently part of a biopic on Leonard Bernstein. Over the past years, Armie Hammer and Timothée Chalamet were praised for Call Me By Your Name, and Kate Winslet and Saoirse Ronan were also applauded for Ammonite.
But the opinions stay divided since Eddie Redmayne, who won much acclaim for starring as a trans woman in 2015’s The Danish Girl, says he feels regret for accepting the role, and says it was a mistake.
So do you agree with Tom Hanks?
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