Tom Hanks on his role in Philadelphia: straight as gay is no longer possible – and rightly so

Actor Tom Hanks believes that a gay role should no longer be played by a straight actor. The actor himself played the role of an HIV-positive gay lawyer in the film in 1993 philadelphia cream†

Although he thinks the movie might not have been so successful back then without a well-known heterosexual actor like him in the lead role, it’s different now, he says in an interview with New York Times Review† “Could a straight man still do what I do philadelphia cream have done? No – and rightly so.”

He claims, however, that it was different almost thirty years ago. “The message of philadelphia cream was that people should not be afraid. One of the reasons people weren’t scared of the movie was that I played a gay man.”

‘not authentic’

“But we’re deeper than that,” he adds, “and I don’t think people accept it now when a straight actor plays a gay role. Because it’s not authentic.” According to Hanks, it’s not a bad development: “It’s not a crime or a groan to expect more from a film in terms of authenticity.”

Hanks won his first Oscar in 1994 for his role as lawyer Andrew Beckett in philadelphia cream† In the film, Beckett takes legal action against his former employer after he was infected with HIV and fired.

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