Tom Hanks Wouldn’t Accept His Role as a Gay Man in Philadelphia If It Was Offered to Him Now

Tom Hanks explained why he would oppose the idea of ​​playing a gay man in Philadelphia if we offered him the role now.

The 67-year-old played young lawyer Andrew Beckett in the 1993 film, diagnosed with AIDS and struggling to cope in a homophobic society.

His portrayal of the character won him the Academy Award for Best Actor at the 1994 Academy Awards.

If you still haven’t seen it, check out the trailer below:

However, Hanks has since explained why he wouldn’t play such a role today.

In a 2022 interview with The New York Times, journalist David Marchese said, “There’s no way a straight actor would be cast as Philadelphia today and Forrest Gump would have died in the water.

The actor replied, “Let’s talk about ‘could a straight man do what I did in Philadelphia NOW?’

“No, and with good reason.

“The whole point of Philadelphia it was don’t be afraid.

“One of the reasons people weren’t afraid of this movie was that I played a gay man.

“We’re past that now, and I don’t think people would accept the inauthenticity of a straight guy playing a gay guy.

“It’s not a crime, it’s not a joke, for someone to say we’re going to demand more from a film in the modern realm of authenticity.

“Do I look like I’m preaching?” I don’t intend to.

Regarding Forrest GumpHanks asked Marchese, “Gary Sinise couldn’t have played Lt. Dan because he has legs?”

The reporter replied: “Not that. I’m sure its premise alone would mean that Forrest Gump would be mocked and criticized on social media before anyone even had a chance to see it,” leading Hanks to say, “There’s nothing you can do about it.

“The problem with Forrest Gump did it make a billion dollars. If we had just made a hit movie, Bob and I would have been geniuses. But because we made a hit movie, we were evil geniuses.

“Is this a serious problem to have?” No, but there are books about the greatest films of all time, and Forrest Gump doesn’t appear because, oh, it’s this moody nostalgia fest. Every year there’s an article called “The Movie That Should Have Won Best Picture” and it’s always pulp Fiction. pulp Fiction is undoubtedly a masterpiece.

“Look, I don’t know, but there’s an undeniably heartbreaking moment of humanity in Forrest Gump when Gary Sinise – he plays Lt. Dan – and his Asian wife come to our house on the day Forrest and Jenny are getting married.

Featured image credit: Momodu Mansaray/WireImage/Getty Images/TriStar

Topics: Tom Hanks, LGBTQ