LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Tom Hanks has carved a reputation for portraying phenomenal roles that challenged his art. The two-time Academy Award winner is currently preparing for the release of ‘Asteroid City’, which is set to hit theaters on June 16, 2023. Although Hanks seems at ease in the sci-fi rom-com, some other blockbusters made him push his boundaries.
Over the years, the ‘Forrest Gump' star has repeatedly proven himself a master of transformation. His most iconic transformation came in Robert Zemeckis’ ‘Cast Away’, which saw him gaining and then shedding a staggering 50 pounds to perfectly encapsulate Chuck Noland’s perilous journey. The performance was genuinely outstanding but it wasn't exactly a stroll in the park. The father of four subsequently confessed that the movie exhausted him physically as well as mentally.
How Tom Hanks executed the radical physical transformation for ‘Cast Away’
Released in 2000, ‘Cast Away’ narrates the story of FedEx systems analyst Chuck Noland (Tom Hanks), who is abandoned on a barren island for four years and survives by using his wits. Undergoing the most drastic transformation of his career, Hanks gained a startling 50 pounds during the pre-production to play a typical FedEx agent. However, another challenge struck when he had to lose the same weight to transform into the shipwrecked specter that Noland became at the end of the film.
The transition was so arduous that the film’s production had to halt for a year so Hanks could lose the weight and grow out his hair. Before the film's debut, Hanks revealed to Entertainment Weekly that to achieve the dramatic makeover, he had to make some difficult diet sacrifices. “The only thing I did not give up was coffee,” he said, adding “Nope, wasn’t about to! Can’t do it! Excuse me, no, I’m not! Ain’t gonna happen, pal!” Thanks to Hanks’ commitment, ‘Cast Away’ ultimately became one of the highest-grossing pictures of 2000, earning an astounding $28.9 million in just its opening weekend.
How Tom Hanks’ 'Cast Away' transformation affected his health
Despite being a literal masterpiece, the ‘Big’ star’s transition into Chuck Noland proved to be quite the hassle. “It was a burden,” he told Entertainment Weekly while reflecting on his iconic metamorphosis. “And it was a burden because I knew when the time came there wasn’t going to be anyone else to work off of,” he continued. In addition to the physical strain, Hanks reportedly suffered substantial mental anguish while shooting for the film.
The Hollywood veteran previously revealed that he had to film most of the scenes in isolation, which nearly drove him crazy. “When Wilson was born, I had dialogue with him, and I heard his dialogue in my head,” the “Saving Private Ryan” star told Graham Bensinger in a 2020 interview. He further noted that “I did go crazy 'cause I never had a day off. I never had a shot off. I was never off-camera for anything. It was the whole movie was point-and-shoot. Yeah, I don’t even recall hearing ‘action’ and ‘cut’. You just kind of like wandering into the frame and wandering out, and that’s how we shot the movie. It could have been very, very undisciplined, but Bob got what he needed, so thank god.”
