Tom Hanks Opens Up About His Career, Family, Self-Doubt, and the “Magic” That Shaped His Life

Tom Hanks has acted in more than 80 films, cementing his status as a Hollywood legend.

In this conversation from 2023, Tom speaks with Guy Raz about the surprising twists and turns that have shaped his life.

You’ll learn about Tom’s nomadic childhood, the mentors who pushed him to get involved in theater as a junior college student, his breakout role in ‘Bosom Buddies’, how he approaches complex characters, why he believes “bringing an idea” is the secret to success and much more.

Listen to this episode on the go:
🟣Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tom-hanks-opens-up-about-his-career-family-self-doubt/id1640546593?i=1000677434975
🟢Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/7kmSqcFd03y3qMFCoZfVYl?si=bvxDVUnHSC-5tZ8WwDaObA

Chapters
(00:00:00) - Intro
(00:02:05) - A nomadic childhood in Northern California
(00:11:51) - High school and discovering acting
(00:15:31) - Getting started in the theater after high school
(00:21:43) - The lucky break in Cleveland
(00:26:14) - Moving to New York and early struggles
(00:33:25) - Breakthrough with Bosom Buddies
(00:43:13) - Casting for Splash
(00:49:28) - Working with Ron Howard
(00:53:58) - The importance of showing up prepared
(00:55:03) - Reflecting on iconic roles and career choices
(00:58:51) - How he transforms into a character
(01:02:32) - The complex relationship between Elvis and manager Colonel Tom Parker
(01:20:45) - The reality of acting: No fake moments
(01:22:32) - Meeting Joe DiMaggio
(01:25:46) - Working with Paul Newman: First-day nerves
(01:27:20) - The evolution of acting: Getting better with age
(01:32:20) - His moments of self-doubt
(01:41:50) - What keeps him going
(01:46:25) - The value of mystery in acting

Mentioned in this episode:
• Tom and Peter Scolari in Bosom Buddies - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-MaBkqzR1k
• Tom and Daryl Hannah in Splash - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PYwqSjfiS7s
• The cross-country running scene from Forrest Gump - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QgnJ8GpsBG8
• The execution scene from The Green Mile - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmxArNBJHFQ
• Tom as Chesley Sullenberger in Sully: plane crash in the Hudson scene - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJ5ZLdJDBrg
• Tom as Colonel Tom Parker in Baz Luhrmann's Elvis - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQlHwS-arpw&t=76s
• The real Colonel Tom Parker in an interview on ABC - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Djd2bmm6nWE

Connect with Tom:
• 📺Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TomHanks/
• 📸Instagram: www.instagram.com/tomhanks

Connect with us:
•💻Website: TheGreatCreators.com
•📸Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thegreatcreatorspodcast and https://www.instagram.com/guy.raz
• 🎵TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@guyraz