Tom Hanks Jokes That His Character in ‘The Circle’ Was Based on Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey (Video)

Tom Hanks’ role of a surveillance-loving CEO in the new tech thriller “The Circle” was based on tech executives like Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, he joked during an interview with none other than Dorsey himself Monday. “I played you! I played you,” Hanks said during a panel at Twitter’s office in San Francisco that also included co-stars Emma Watson and Patton Oswalt as well as director James Ponsoldt.

The panel also drew some other parallels between the world of surveillance in “The Circle,” which features a company with a network of cameras all around the world, and social media. “Fame is not being achieved, it’s being afflicted on people,” said Oswalt in a reference to the power of social media. He also argued that in the future, people may choose to completely disconnect and not be on social media at all — a statement that prompted Hanks to quip: “Wouldn’t that be great, Jack?”

Dorsey himself chimed in to talk about his own company’s role, arguing that Twitter had to highlight positive use of social media. “We can’t just be tool-makers here,” he said.

Watson said that she liked her character in the movie in part because it highlights the roles of women in tech. “The tech industry notoriously has issues with diversity,” she said. Dorsey agreed and said that his company had been trying to change the gender composition of its leadership. “It’s really important for people to see what they can aspire to be,” Dorsey said, adding: “The important thing is not just diversity, but inclusion.”

Watch the entire interview below:

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