Tom Hanks reflects on why people wouldn't accept straight guy playing gay onscreen today

While the fans await the release of Tom Hanks' forthcoming comedy-drama film Asteroid City with much anticipation, the actor recently trod down memory lane and recalled his performance in the 1993 American legal drama movie titled Philadelphia. As the movie depicted Tom Hanks essaying the role of a homosexual, the actor reflected on how people will not accept a straight guy essaying the role of a gay character in the present scenario. 

Tom Hanks on people not accepting a straight guy playing a gay character now 

According to The New York Times, Tom Hanks opened up about his Oscar-winning performance in the 1993 film Philadelphia in which he played the role of a senior associate in a corporate law firm while hiding his homosexuality and his status as an AIDS patient. Speaking about the same, he mentioned that the contemporary audience would not accept a straight guy playing the role of a gay similar to what he did in Philadelphia. He even mentioned that people weren't afraid of the film only because of the fact that he was playing a gay man.

He asserted, “Let’s address ‘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.”

More about the film

Written by Ron Nyswaner and directed by Jonathan Demme, the movie featured Tom Hanks as Andrew Beckett, Denzel Washington as Joe Miller, Mary Steenburgen as Belinda Conine, Jason Robards as Charles Wheeler, Joanne Woodward as Sarah Beckett, Adam LeFevre as Jill's husband, Dan Olmstead as Randy Beckett among others. The movie opened to positive reviews from the audience and critics and garnered immense love from fans. It was even Hollywood’s first big star, big-budget film to shed light on the AIDS spreading in the US. 

Tom Hanks is currently gearing up for the release of Asteroid City which will feature an ensemble cast of iconic actors namely Bill Murray, Tilda Swinton, Scarlett Johansson, Adrien Brody and many others. The movie is expected to be released in 2023.

Image: AP