“He was very happy to be not married:” Tom Hanks’ Failing Marriage Made Him Reject Meg Ryan’s $92 Million Flick
The American actor Tom Hanks is the undisputed king when it comes to great acting and choice of projects. With excellent filmography, the acting career of the legendary star spans a period of four decades in the entertainment world. The Academy Award recipient has been a part of remarkable projects like- Philadelphia, Forest Gump, Saving Mr. Banks, A League of Their Own, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, and Cast Away.
He has been the voice behind Woody from the Toy Story franchise. The legendary actor has also earned seven Emmys on his name for co-writing and producing From the Earth to the Moon, Game Change, Band of Brothers, John Adams, and Olive Kitteridge. Tom Hanks was offered Meg Ryan’s blockbuster project When Harry Met Sally, but due to some personal issues, the actor did not go ahead with the proposal.
How Tom Hanks’ Failing Marriage Led Him To Reject When Harry Met Sally?
Recently during an appearance on the Table for Two with Bruce Bozzi podcast, Tom Hanks’ wife Rita Wilson spoke about how her husband had turned down one of the most loved movies of all time. According to Rita Wilson, Tom Hanks was offered the character of the male lead opposite Meg Ryan in the 1989 release When Harry Met Sally. She revealed-
“People probably don’t know this, but Tom was offered ‘When Harry Met Sally. And so, he could not understand that a person going through a divorce would have anything other than just like, ‘I’m so happy,’”
Actors like Michael Keaton, Albert Brooks, and Richard Dreyfuss were also considered for the character of Harry, that later went to actor Billy Crystal. However, Meg Ryan went on to work with Tom Hanks in Sleepless in Seattle, Joe Versus the Volcano, and You’ve Got Mail.
Tom Hanks was previously married to Samantha Lewes in 1978 and even shares two kids Colin Hanks and Elizabeth Hanks with her. He had separated from his ex-wife when he started dating Rita Wilson. The duo got married in 1988.
Actor Tom Hanks Talks About Disliking His Own Projects
It is weird for someone as legendary as Tom Hanks to dislike his own work. He is one of those actors who has set an excellent example in the cinema world with respect to his choice of project. During an interview with the media outlet, The New Yorker the actor mentioned not being a fan of his own filmography. He revealed-
“Let’s admit this: We all have seen movies that we hate. I have been in some movies that I hate. You have seen some of my movies and you hate them. As for how a film is received in general, “Someone is going to say, ‘I hated it.’ Other people can say, ‘I think it’s brilliant.’ Somewhere in between the two is what the movie actually is,”
While talking about his movie That Thing You Do! which was written, directed, and starred by the Oscar-winning actor, he explained-
“I loved making that movie. I loved writing it, I loved being with it. I love all the people in it. When it came out, it was completely dismissed by the first wave of Vox populi. It didn’t do great business. It hung around for a while, and was viewed as being some sort of odd, kinda quasi-ripoff of nine other different movies and a nice little stroll down memory lane.”
Tom Hanks is one of the most prolific actors Hollywood has ever produced. He has never shied away from putting his thoughts and opinion in front of the world whether it is about the dependence of Hollywood on Artificial Intelligence or the biased behavior of the James Bond franchise towards the American actors.
When Harry Met Sally is currently available on Amazon Prime.
Source: Table For Two with Bruce Bozzi
