Hollywood favourite Tom Hanks is on the red carpet at the 75th Cannes Film Festival this week as he promotes ‘Elvis’, a new film following the rise of music legend Elvis Presley. Hanks plays Elvis’ manager, Colonel Tom Parker, and is barely recognisable as the weighty character with a Dutch accent and shave head. He was seen this week on the red carpet with Presley’s ex-wife by his side. If you can’t wait for the latest Hanks film to hit cinemas, you can still see him in action in an equally unrecognisable role this weekend, with Cast Away, on Channel 5 at 3.55pm today.
The adventure drama sees workaholic executive Chuck Noland looking forward to spending Christmas with his girlfriend, but is sent abroad on an assignment at the last minute.
When his plane crashes into the Pacific, Chuck is stranded alone on a remote, uninhabited island, where he must learn to survive as the years pass by.
Hanks was nominated for an Academy Award for the role, just one of dozens of nominations, adding to the 50 awards won by the Hollywood heavyweight.
While he’s a regular face at award ceremonies, the 2020 Golden Globes marked a less enjoyable moment, as he was seen looking far from impressed by jokes being told by the host, comedian and actor Ricky Gervais.
Gervais made expletive-filled jokes about diversity in the entertainment business, the rise of streaming, and actors who use their time at the winners’ podium to make political speeches.
The British comedian reflected on Hanks’ less than enthusiastic reaction to his jokes in September 2020.
He told Stuff of Legends host Christian O’Connell: “The big meme was Tom Hanks going: ‘Why is he saying that?’ “And people are going, ‘Oh, look, he’s on his high horse.’ But when Leonardo DiCaprio laughed, people loved him for it.
“I think people who laugh at a joke, they get a round of applause because people go, ‘Oh that’s good, they can take it,’ we don’t want people to be above it.”
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“He’s won two Academy Awards and three Golden Globes for his powerful and varied performances, starring in such films as Philadelphia, Forrest Gump, Cast Away, Apollo 13 and Saving Private Ryan. The other… is Tim Allen.”
Hanks arrived on stage and replied: “We remember when Ricky Gervais was a slightly chubby but very kind comedian – neither of which he is now.”
Gervais later said he “regrets” the joke. He thinks Hanks and Allen didn’t realise that he would have made the joke about whoever was on stage.
Speaking to O’Connell, he also said: “I could say a lot worse things about them, but I don’t want it to get really nasty and for no reason.”