Tom Hanks Refused to “Sugar-coat” Disney Role

Tom Hanks has revealed he insisted on playing a Walt Disney who smokes, drinks and swears, and would never have taken the role of the notorious studio boss if Disney had sugar-coated it.

“I think it’s smart of them, it would have been easy for Disney to turn it into the ‘Uncle Walt’ version of it all – but I think if you’re going to go back you’ve got to give it a little bit of teeth,” the Oscar-winner told Sky News.

There was initial scepticism that Disney studios might make Saving Mr Banks feel like a propaganda film that immortalised its founder as a hero. However, concerns have been replaced with a warm welcome from the critics.

Over a 30-year career, Hanks has had some of his greatest success in films based around historical events, including Forrest Gump, Apollo 13 and Saving Private Ryan.

Saving Mr Banks is about Walt Disney’s 20-year battle for the rights to Mary Poppins – and the creative battles that raged behind the scenes with author PL Travers once he had secured them.

It is predicted the film will be in the running for Academy Award nominations in the New Year, with Hanks also in the frame for a nomination for Captain Phillips – but the actor told Sky News he takes no notice of it all.

“As soon as the magazines release their autumn previews and the Toronto Film Festival starts it becomes a horse race. It’s just a horse race.”

Saving Mr Banks is in cinemas now.