Tom Hanks claims he hasn't always been nice on movie sets

Tom Hanks claims he’s been a jerk on movie sets. He sounds like the nicest jerk ever

Tom Hanks poses in a black suit and glasses

May 9, 2023 11:56 AM PT

Noted Hollywood nice guy Tom Hanks just made a stunning admission about his movie-set demeanor: He hasn’t always been nice.

In recent interviews to promote his debut novel, “The Making of Another Major Motion Picture Masterpiece,” the “Cast Away” and “Toy Story” actor claimed he has sometimes behaved like his book’s main character, the nasty and inconsiderate star of a big-budget superhero movie.

“I have pulled every single one of those moments of behavior myself on a set,” Hanks told the BBC.

“Not everybody is at their best every single day on a motion picture set,” he added. “I’ve had tough days trying to be a professional when my life has been falling apart in more ways than one and the requirement for me that day is to be funny, charming and loving — and it’s the last way I feel.”

Appearing Tuesday on “CBS Mornings,” Hanks insisted to a skeptical Gayle King that he has occasionally been a jerk during production. He even offered an example — though it’s unclear how much of the anecdote was real and how much was exaggerated to make a point.

“I’ve been the guy who says, ‘Why can’t I wear sunglasses? I think the guy should wear sunglasses in this scene! ... Let me wear sunglasses!’” Hanks said on CBS.

“And the [director of photography] comes up and says, ‘Well, we’re just gonna lose your eyes.’ Or the producer says, ‘Tom, we’ll have to take the glare out, and that’s $250,000 in [post-production].’”

The Oscar winner also shared his thoughts on “CBS Mornings” about the ongoing Hollywood writers’ strike over compensation in the streaming era. The Writers Guild of America is demanding better pay, higher residuals for streaming content, higher contributions to the union’s health and pension plan and more protections for its members.

“The entire industry is at a crossroads, and everybody knows it,” said Hanks, who has several screenwriting credits. “The financial motor has to be completely redefined, and there is some degree of pie here that is going to have to be equitably distributed by the people who are responsible for the content. Not the folks who make the deals for the content — the folks who actually make it. And first up is the writers.”

“We do not have scripts without writers,” he continued. “We do not have films, stories without directors. And the actors are coming up as well. ... Like minds are going to have to come down and be equitable and come up with — believe it or not — some type of win-win situation.”

Hanks’ “The Making of Another Major Motion Picture Masterpiece” hit shelves on Tuesday.