Tom Hanks won an Academy Award for his riveting portrayal of Andrew Beckett, a gay man seeking justice after he was fired because of his HIV status in the critically acclaimed, Philadelphia. It’s one of Tom Hanks’ best performances but he’s saying that he doesn’t think he could take on the oscar-winning role today as a straight man and he believes that’s rightfully so.
During a chat with The New York Times Magazine, Hanks said he believes he couldn’t play the role today and he fully understands why. You can check out his full quote on the matter below:
“Could a straight man do what I did in Philadelphia now? No, and rightly so. The whole point of Philadelphia was, ‘Don’t be afraid.’ One of the reasons people weren’t afraid of that movie is that I was playing a gay man. We’re beyond 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 boohoo, that someone would say we are going to demand more of a movie in the modern realm of authenticity. Do I sound like I’m preaching? I don’t mean to.”
Tom Hanks starred alongside Denzel Washington in 1993’s Philadelphia and the film was notable at the time for being one of the first mainstream Hollywood movies to address HIV/AIDS and homophobia. Hanks took home the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance, a truly harrowing and honest portrayal that still stands out but I do see his point. I think in this day and age, more authenticity is called upon in roles like this so this may not have been an opportunity he would’ve gotten if it were made today.
Do YOU think Tom Hanks could play his Philadelphia role as a straight man today?