No Capes!
Tom Hanks has played a surprisingly large number of real-life characters. Unlike Far Out magazine, it would be hard for me to rank them. All I’ll say is Charlie Wilson’s War (2007) is highly underrated, and I hope more people will watch it now that it’s on Amazon Prime (at least in India).
Sure, he’s done justice to all those roles, stunning actor that he is. But there was only one story in which I pictured Tom Hanks even when I first saw the newspaper headline:
If you haven’t watched Clint Eastwood’s Sully (2016), starring Hanks as Chelsey “Sully” Sullenberger, you really should. And then come back and watch this video to know why it was the perfect casting choice - nonchalant, self-effacing, and radiating that kind dad energy.
Incredible man, unbelievable story. And 154 people who owe him their lives.1
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Fun fact - Sully is a glider pilot and an expert on aviation safety- the exact two things you’d need in your pilot after your plane loses both engines!