“We were peers”: the “incredibly intelligent” young actor Tom Hanks treated as an equal
Seniority carries a lot of weight in Hollywood, with actors and filmmakers alike carrying respect and reverence for the experienced veterans they work with. Tom Hanks may have been infinitely more established than a fast-rising co-star, but he knew they were talented enough to be treated as an equal.
Not that Hanks has ever given off the impression of being a guy who’d pull rank on set and put younger cast members in their place when he’s the first name on the call sheet, especially when the performer he was sharing a number of scenes with was already one of the most famous names in the business.
Still, in terms of accolades and credits, Hanks was miles out in front. When cameras started rolling in February 2002, Hanks was 45 years old with two Academy Award wins from five nominations under his belt, to go along with his four Golden Globe wins and bulletproof status as one of the industry’s most bankable leading men.
His opposite number, meanwhile, only had one Oscar nomination to their name, which had come almost a decade previously. They were almost two decades his junior at a fresh-faced 27 when the director first called action, but starring in the highest-grossing release in history ensured that Leonardo DiCaprio was the opposite of an unknown commodity when shooting on Steven Spielberg’s Catch Me If You Can kicked off.
DiCaprio was a superstar and a heartthrob who took pride of place on the bedroom walls of teenagers everywhere, but he’d yet to truly prove himself as an actor. Everybody knew he was good, make no mistake, but those post-Titanic years were instrumental in allowing him to place the teen idol image he never wanted into the rear-view mirror in favour of being taken seriously for his dramatic gifts.
Regardless of how many years he’d been working, stepping onto a set with close friends and regular collaborators Hanks and Spielberg would be daunting for any actor, but the former found himself at ease with an actor he appreciated for having navigated so many obstacles despite his tender years.
“We were peers, I think,” Hanks mused to the BBC of their bond. “Leo’s an incredibly intelligent guy who’s been through a great amount of life experience over the course of the last few years. He’s very dedicated, and I think he had a very good idea of what he wanted to do and how he wanted to do it.”
Hanks and DiCaprio were at very different stages of their professional lives when they crossed paths on Catch Me If You Can, but it wouldn’t be unjust to suggest they’re on equal footing these days as long-tenured A-listers who can draw in a crowd based on nothing but their name alone, a position not too many thespians are fortunate enough to ever find themselves in.
