Tom Hanks thought it was an “insult” to be compared to the actor he called “the best of all time”
In Hollywood, actors are always going to get compared to each other, even if they think they’re being strikingly original. That’s not always a bad thing, of course, because who doesn’t want to be compared to an established icon? For Tom Hanks, though, he finds it kind of insulting.
The actor reigned over Hollywood in the 1990s with two consecutive Oscar wins, which spanned the intense legal drama Philadelphia to the charming comedy-drama Forrest Gump, both of which helped to demonstrate his range as an actor. He’d already found significant success the previous decade with everything from Big to Splash, but it was the ‘90s that really gave him a chance to show just how popular he could become.
Whether he was voicing the cowboy doll Woody in Toy Story or leading the ultimate American propaganda blockbuster Saving Private Ryan, you couldn’t escape the actor during the decade. He treasured playing the hero, becoming a lovable figure of accessible Hollywood flicks who never pushed the boat out too much. Strategic in his decisions, Hanks was never going to appear in a rogue indie movie or something that might damage his reputation as a go-to leading man, and this has subsequently secured his success.
During the height of his career, Hanks often found himself compared to James Stewart, the classic Hollywood actor known for his everyman persona that made him hugely popular. Yet, Hanks finds this insulting, although not for himself.
He actually finds it a bit disrespectful to Stewart – and honestly, can you blame him? Sure, if Hanks had been around back then, he might’ve done alright in something like It’s A Wonderful Life, but I can’t see him bringing the same edge to Vertigo. Hitchcock wasn’t exactly some underground filmmaker, but there was a certain artistry to his work that set him apart from the rest of Hollywood at the time. And let’s be real, I don’t think Hanks could’ve pulled off Rope nearly as well as Stewart did.
“I get embarrassed every time that comes up. Jimmy was the best of all time. Comparing the two of us is like an insult to him, because, frankly, I’m lucky to be where I am. I’m just this really cheesy guy,” Hanks told Deseret News.
Instead, he selects Van Johnson as a more welcome comparison, although he added, “Would that be considered an insult to Van? Should I be comparing myself to John Agar? Maybe that’s more appropriate. I just get uncomfortable when I’m asked to talk about myself. There are a lot more talented actors out there.”
Whether you believe that Hanks is as talented as Stewart is up to you, but you can certainly see why people have made comparisons between the pair to a certain degree, with both of them harnessing that good guy, trustworthy image that has allowed them to land the kinds of roles that people flock towards.
Of course, they’ve both played villains, too, but no matter who they’re playing, their reputation is never all that changed by it. At the end of the day, they’ll always both be well-liked, go-to Hollywood stars, but Hanks is right – you can’t exactly compare Stewart to Hanks on a technical level, because he just had the edge as a more versatile star.
