Tom Hanks: Straight actor wouldn’t be cast in lead role of ‘Philadelphia’ today

A straight man would never be cast today in the leading role of the 1993 film “Philadelphia,” in which Tom Hanks delivered an Oscar-winning performance as a gay man, the actor told The New York Times.

While discussing shifting cultural norms and their influence on cinema with the Times, Hanks said he would never get that role today.

“There’s no way a straight actor would be cast in ‘Philadelphia’ today,” the actor said. “Could a straight man do what I did in ‘Philadelphia’ now? No, and rightly so.”

Hanks went on to explain that current societal standards demand more authenticity in films.

“The whole point of ‘Philadelphia’ was don’t be afraid,” he added. “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.”

Hanks, who stars in the new film “Elvis,” also explained why he hasn’t tweeted in two years, citing a divisive political climate and misinformation.

“I’d post something goofy like, ‘Here’s a pair of shoes I saw in the middle of the street,’ … and the third comment is ‘[Expletive] you, you Obama-loving communist.’ It’s like, I don’t need to do that,” he said.

Hanks in January touted the work of the Biden administration with an ad narration for the Biden Inaugural Committee.

In the ad, which ran on the one-year anniversary of Biden taking office, Hanks says the country is “stronger than we were a year ago today.”