The 1995 scene that embarrassed Tom Hanks: “We looked ridiculous”
Among his many talents, Tom Hanks has developed a reputation for playing a large number of real-world figures on-screen, with his detours into the realm of biographical drama spanning centuries and encompassing multiple genres.
Befitting his reputation for being one of the greatest actors of the modern era, he’s proven hugely adept at it, even if one story ripped straight from the headlines left him feeling sillier than ever before. Despite his reputation for immersing himself in demanding roles, Hanks has often spoken about the strange realities of filmmaking. The process of creating convincing drama can sometimes look remarkably unconvincing when viewed from outside the finished production.
Hanks has dabbled in science fiction on several occasions, but it was ironic that his time spent dabbling in science facts was stuck in his memory for all the wrong reasons.
After achieving the rare feat of winning back-to-back Academy Awards for ‘Best Actor’ in Philadelphia and Forrest Gump, Hanks’ next port of call was another drama that carried potential awards season aspirations, with the star signing on to play Jim Lovell in Ron Howard’s Apollo 13, which was based in part on the book Lost Moon that was co-authored by the person he was playing.
The involvement of Lovell added an extra layer of responsibility to the project. Hanks was not simply portraying a historical figure but someone who was actively invested in ensuring the story was told accurately.
“Never felt more stupid”
Tom Hanks
Inspired by the titular mission that was ultimately abandoned, things start off smoothly for the crew comprised of Hanks’ Lovell, Bill Paxton’s Fred Haise, and Kevin Bacon’s Jack Swigert before an oxygen tank explosion forces them to not only call off their attempt to touch down on the surface of the moon but navigate a treacherous re-entry into the Earth’s atmosphere.
Realism was the name of the game, with the creative team working closely with Nasa to ensure authenticity was at the forefront, while the core cast were put in a reduced-gravity plane to simulate the effects of weightlessness. It was an admirable dedication to making things seem as real and natural as possible, but one of the adverse side effects was Hanks being blighted by an unshakeable sense of ridiculousness.
Apollo 13 boasts a soundbite that became a staple of the lexicon through “Houston, we have a problem”, and while it was a serious dramatic moment within the context of the motion picture, Hanks didn’t quite feel the same way immediately after it was said on set.
As he explained on The Graham Norton Show, he was “recreating the serious moment” right after the iconic quote, which had himself, Paxton, and Bacon “going up on down on grips making us look weightless.” A fairly standard part of a production that features its fair share of space-set sequences, it would seem, but Hanks ended up red-faced when none other than Lovell himself decided to swing by.
“We looked ridiculous,” was his frank admission, made worse by Hanks glancing down and realising “there was Jim looking up at us.” It hardly sounds like the sort of eye contact that would cause one of Hollywood’s most notable A-listers to hope the ground would open up and swallow them whole, but the two-time Oscar winner nonetheless said he’d “never felt more stupid in my life”.
Howard’s film would go on to secure nine Oscar nominations, including a ‘Best Picture’ nod, but for Hanks, the lasting legacy of Apollo 13 is apparently beginning to feel more absurd than at any other moment during his time spent as a living, breathing human being, all caused by Lovell picking that specific day to swing by for a visit.
While audiences remember Apollo 13 for its tension and realism, Hanks remembers a far more human moment. It serves as a reminder that even acclaimed productions are built upon countless behind-the-scenes situations that are often equal parts impressive and unintentionally comical.
