On Wednesday night, there was a premiere/screening event for Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis in New York. Tom Hanks attended with his wife Rita Wilson. Tom stars in the movie as Col. Tom Parker, Elvis Presley’s manager and Svengali. I don’t know if this incident happened as they were leaving the premiere, or if they went to a second location and that’s where something happened, but it was bad. Tom, Rita and some security people or handlers were walking through an area. There were fans and paparazzi trying to get close and, worse yet, succeeding in getting very close to Tom and Rita. One person got close enough to trip Rita. That’s when Tom lost it:
Tom’s reaction is completely understandable. People were too close to them anyway, I’m shocked that the theater’s security or even Tom and Rita’s personal security weren’t able to keep people further away as Tom and Rita were walking. Before Rita was tripped, Tom basically had to walk into someone in his path. People don’t know how to behave. And yeah, this is like Paul Newman telling someone “go f–k yourself.” This is like Gregory Peck telling someone to “eat sh-t.” If you make American Treasure Tom Hanks lose his temper this badly, you f–ked it all up. Just go home and don’t come out again.
Photos courtesy of Backgrid.
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- Manhattan, NY – Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson exit the ‘Elvis’ premiere in Manhattan. Pictured: Tom Hanks, Rita Wilson BACKGRID USA 15 JUNE 2022 BYLINE MUST READ: Alessandra G / BACKGRID USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- Manhattan, NY – Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson exit the ‘Elvis’ premiere in Manhattan. Pictured: Tom Hanks, Rita Wilson BACKGRID USA 15 JUNE 2022 BYLINE MUST READ: Alessandra G / BACKGRID USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- Manhattan, NY – Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson exit the ‘Elvis’ premiere in Manhattan. Pictured: Tom Hanks, Rita Wilson BACKGRID USA 15 JUNE 2022 BYLINE MUST READ: Alessandra G / BACKGRID USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
People don’t have simple decorum AT. ALL. One thing about the Covid protocol that I loved that I miss is the 6 feet away from each other in public spaces. I really do think we need to get back to that. People are so exhausting.
Amen to that.
Tel me about it. This “keep your distance” thing was a BLESSING – now people are breathing on my shoulders at a checkout line again, acting lie if they push up to me, the line will suddenly disappear. Last time I had to stand in line, a shopping cart from behind was literally pressed up against my butt the entire time.
Oh, I’ve had that happen, the grocery cart in the butt maneuver. It doesn’t make me move up, though, I just push back against it. As for what happened here, it looks like somebody stepped on Rita’s heel or something. That happens to me a lot because I’m slow (I have a neuropathy). People just don’t pay attention & assume everybody’s walking at their speed or whatever; put a cell phone in nearly everyone’s hand, and more stuff like this is happening. It’s dangerous for some of us. I’m glad Rita didn’t fall.
Teehee, same. Last time I was at Marshall’s, this lady was all up against me with her cart. I asked her for more space and she seemed surprised. She sure scooted back when my screaming preschooler joined me in line.
This just makes me love Tom Hanks more.
There are a whole lot of conspiracy people who think he and his wife are pedophiles or baby murderers. There’s no telling what threats they’ve received. I understand how he could be hyper concerned about her safety.
Same.
+1
YES. All of a sudden, everyone is back up in people’s business. Really miss that 6′ bubble.
Tom’s absolutely right. Fans aren’t entitled to get in personal space. Step back and stop being weird.
I am always suspicious of people who allow others to label them “the good guy”. I watched one of the Hollywood round tables where he participated and he seemed self-involved to me, which has been my experience every time I have met one of those “that guy is amazing” types.
It seemed like an unpleasant incident to me, someone tripped and pushed Wilson, which is never a good feeling. They were too close and the whole paparazzi / celeb phenomenon always gives me the creeps anyway.
But has he ‘allowed’ that label or image,sometimes these labels are thrust upon people without them even wanting or caring about them. Then they get disappointed when that individual shows that they are only human.
His film choices tell me he has. I mean he is a big deal, big movie star and his career was obviously carefully branded. Also whenever I see him on Graham Norton or on those round tables he seems to be stimulated by a certain kind of praise.
I don’t know the guy, but his wife does not have a great reputation so all of it seems like a carefully built image. And his acting does go in that direction.
Does this make him a horrible person? No. It does make me not enjoy his acting (because it’s based on him being that guy a lot IMO) because if makes for clear cut good dudes, not very interesting. And it does make me wonder why he is considered to be on National Treasure level. Just an opinion and a hunch that may be wrong of course.
Standing up for yourself and/or your spouse does not mean you aren’t a nice person.
“Nice” doesn’t mean pushover. He’s allowed to be angry and to express it.
Agreed.
I agree 100%.
I agree and disagree with what your saying. Tom never seems to paint himself as the “nice guy” and his movie rolls say nothing.
Now Matt Damon is another story he is constantly saying what a “nice guy” he is in every interview has constantly throws his friends under the bus to prove it.
@ Coco, great analysis regarding MD. If you need to publicly maintain you are a “nice” guy you are compensating to cover up that you aren’t.
Yes, TH never portrays himself as a nice guy.
@JO, My father-in-law knows Tom Hanks, and he truly is a great guy. Just as nice and as humble as he appears to be. He loves his wife very much and is protective of her in general, so it’s not surprising that he got upset here.
That’s very good to know, LaurenaPMT! One of my good friends loves TH and we always beef regarding his filmography. He’ll love knowing this.
Yeah, after seeing what his son Chet became, I can believe Tom’s self-absorbed (or, one of those types who puts all of his obsession into his wife, basically ignoring the kids, which probably caused Chet to realize he had to act out and be provocative to get dad’s attention, even if it’s negative).
I know we’ll never know their private lives, nor are we owed that, but I’m not the least surprised that Tom has this anger in him.
I think Chet is on Rita’s scorecard. She has a rep of being entitled.
I wonder. Tom has three other kids who seem to be doing okay, including a son younger than Chet. The ones I might’ve expected to have issues would be his son and daughter from his first marriage, since he was so young when they had them (age 21 when Colin was born) and: 1) at the same time he was so busy getting his career going, and 2) Tom’s own home life growing up had been so crazy it could’ve taken him a while to figure out how to be a parent himself.
@Jo,
I had the pleasure of talking to Tom Hanks twice, and both times he was funny, gracious, and genuine. It is not an act he puts on, he is just a pleasant person. On the flip side, if you give him reason to get angry, he responds like most of us would. No pretense whatsoever.
Well, Tom Hanks’ first wife did accuse him of emotionally abusing her and, IIRC, he was also cheating on her WITH Rita near the end of their marriage.
People that I know that have worked with him say he is not a nice guy in real life. Rumors on the first Dan Brown movie, he harassed the French actress and that why she didnt comeback for the 2nd movie.
Ha! Well well.
I have no horse in this race (just a hunch) and I didn’t want to bring unnecessary negativity but people are layered as we can see in this thread. They can be really nice to people they meet but also be creeps in the background when no one is looking.
Also who you marry tells me a lot about who you are!
My husband would have got physical, Tom kept control so bravo to him.
At you tripping and not even hurting yourself? Well that’s not excessive at all…
These people are in their 60s and recently recovered from Covid. Have you ever had a crowd of people press in on you?
Um, yeah, if you are up in my personal space, you will catch some ‘bows.
Tom Hanks did look like he was ready to throw hands. He stared that guy down for a good 4 seconds. At least it put to rest those stories about him looking “frail.”
@Sasha — One never knows what crazed fans will do. All celebrities are VERY aware of what’s going on around them and something as simple as someone barging into you causing you to stumble could actually be something much more serious. Remember John Lennon.
Looks to me as if she tripped herself and was surprised. I can get that flashes will blind you but the poor youngster with the blue Tshirt who apologizes isn’t even close to Rita when she trips.
I think they over-reacted, she could just have shrugged it off just like we normal people do when we sometimes trip.
EDIT: I wtached the clip again and yes, she was tripped. Surely unintentionnally though because the fan was paying attention to Tom and she stopped walking and that’s how it happened.
That poor guy in blue had nothing to do with it though. They truely overreacted!
I don’t blame him ONE BIT. how can they know that there’s not somebody there with a weapon. I don’t think any celeb can feel safe in a setting like that, there’s always the fear they could be the next John Lennon.
the public thinks they know these people from watching them in movies. and feel entitled to move in and get that picture to put on their social media.
@Susan — I responded with exactly the same comment above. Even though the trip was unintentional that idiot should NOT have come that close. I’m not a celebrity but when I’m out in public and someone is barging into my personal space, especially because of covid, they get the stink eye and a sharp “excuse me!” Tom had every right to yell at him.
+1 I don’t blame Tom one bit. Rita has already had cancer. Plus it’s so much easier to trip in heels. If she hits the sidewalk you can easily break a bone, and as you get older the bones can get harder to heal.
@Truthiness – absolutely. For example, very easy to break your wrist if you try and stop yourself when you fall, and usually, you reach out with your dominant hand. I broke mine, though in a slightly different way, but the majority of people passing through at the therapy table with me injured themselves just that way (slipping on ice in the winter, very common). And no matter the age, rehabbing a complicated joint like a wrist, especially if surgery is needed, is a lot – lot! – of work.
It’s a bad situation where fans are getting in his way while he and Rita are walking to get to the car. Security needed to be tighter and larger but the fans, in my opinion, were not polite and pushy then walked into Rita’s back as she paused to wait for him, they caused her to stumble while trying to get a pic or close to Tom Hanks.
Tripping at that age could have resulted in a fall that could hurt her. He was probably a little freaked out with that and fans being too close in general and responded naturally. his security did a bad job with keeping the fans at a distance though.
Being in that kind of situation would be daunting for me. It seems to me that Tom’s initial reaction – and why he was so snappish – is because seeing Rita trip and almost fall scared him. He pulled it back once he realized she was okay and there was no physical threat. But yes, everyone was far too close them, weaving in and out. It seemed like a somewhat uncontrolled situation.
@ EC, agreed. They were all up in Tom and Rita’s face, more Tom. But it must be daunting to have people in your face when you venture out. I would not like being treated that way.
He has slimmed down, a lot..
I hope he has chosen to slim down for a role.
I noticed that too. I hope he’s okay. I wonder if he had long term effects from getting COVID.
I think it was for his health. He’s talked about developing Type II Diabetes, and how he ate crap (and gained weight); said his diet was very unhealthy before he got that wake up call. So I’d bet he’s been working with a nutritionist and possibly a trainer to keep it under control. He has the physique he had when he was a young man now.
Now, the shaking he’s been seen having…? Could be hypoglycemia. I have that, and if my blood sugar dips because I haven’t something to eat (I have to have something every 2.5 – 3 hrs or it happens), I can get the shakes/tremors, light headed, adrenaline surges, etc. It’s not pleasant for sure!
Watching the video, it seemed like Tom, Rita and the security guys were anxious. I could feel their anxiety as they navigated around random people and started to notice the fans (?) getting too close and it was uncomfortable. When Rita tripped, someone grabbed her (maybe to help?) or maybe she was briefly tangled up in the trip, but Tom was already freaked out by then and he lost it. I’ve done this type of security walk with recognizable people many times and it can be scary if you don’t have enough security to keep safe.
Agreed.
Given the times we live in, I don’t like people getting to close to me and I’m nobody’s celebrity. I don’t blame Tom for yelling. If people’s fee fees were hurt, too bad they should have more decorum. I think people treat celebrities like property sometimes. You wouldn’t want to be treated like that.
They and their people are clearly anxious at people being way too close. And I’m sure it’s different when the too close people are specifically following you rather than part of a jostling crowd.
Yelling clearly and firmly that people should back off seems like a pretty reasonable reaction to me? Rita is his wife, and she’s wearing fairly delicate shoes. Yeah, Tom Hanks knows that word. Lots of people use it at least now and then.
I razzed Hanks throughout the 90s because it bugged me that his Oscar speech for Philadelphia, in which he played a gay man (though the movie never said it outright, it was strongly implied) mentioned that he’s married to a woman multiple times. I felt like he was worried about being associated with playing a gay man even though it won him an Oscar. But in hindsight knowing more about Hollywood I realize he probably wasn’t being homophobic as much as genuinely protecting himself from being type cast and blackballed. But in the decades since he’s risen to this exalted position as America’s dad. I’m fine with him, though not adoring. But I kinda love seeing him be a normal human here, reacting same as we all would.
To his credit, he’s said since that he would not play that role again. From a recent interview:
“One of the reasons people weren’t afraid of that movie is that I was playing a gay man,” Hanks said. “We’re beyond that now, and I don’t think people would accept the inauthenticity of a straight guy playing a gay guy. It’s not a crime, it’s not boohoo, that someone would say we are going to demand more of a movie in the modern realm of authenticity.”
I was glad he said that and it needed to be said. Although I’m much more forgiving in hindsight. To make a film about AIDS in the early 90s when it was ravaging whole communities it was important to have a big name in the lead to attract huge crowds. People needed to be talking about AIDS. It would still be ten years until Brokeback Mountain’s more overt portrayal of gay men. But even then they didn’t use openly gay actors. The world has evolved a lot since then.
He seems ill to me, I find him so emaciated. I hope he’s OK
I just watched the video, I cannot imagine dealing with that when I walk somewhere. First that dude with the backpack got in between Tom & Rita. Then people crowded them. Why would someone think it’s ok to walk alongside TH and take video?
It may be pointless but I’d also like to say these are not “normal” fans. Nor are they just “paparazzi”.
These are individuals whose lives revolve almost solely around “meeting” celebrities. Either for profit or “bragging rights”; sometimes both. These ARE NOT normal fans who only attend book signings, conventions and personal appearances to meet famous people (although they may attend them as well).
No, these are individuals who are socially maladjusted misfits. They resort to stalking tactics to find out where celebrities are staying, eating and what exits they may be using. If they see a celebrity, they chance everything for an awkward selfie or hurried scribble. They devote entire days to waiting outside a venue, hoping they’ll get their chance. They either don’t respect or understand boundaries, personal space or even privacy in a lot of places.
Tom is known for his patience with papz and they finally just absolutely pushed too far, especially that stupid teenager on his left side that kept reaching his arm around to take a selfie with him while he was walking-he deserved a smack.
It looks to me as if the security guys were hovering around Tom while Rita was out front on her own. One of the tanks should have stayed closer to Rita. Rita’d stopped for them to catch up & the black guy stepped on or kicked her heel. Glad no one was badly hurt.
I think Tom had to put on some lbs to play the colonel & is now slimming back to a safer weight for a man his age.
This is what happens when you people. Something I don’t really do anymore. 😋
Tom looks much slimmer than before. Hope he’s ok.
I have so wanted to tell people this statement with their shopping cart! Love this!
Chet is an adult. Nice people can produce lousy humans. I don’t know much about Rita but Tom has always seemed like a decent guy.