Tom Hanks Says He Learned a Lot About Mr. Rogers Filming ‘A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood'
Tom Hanks portrays Fred Rogers in the new film A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, which premiered on November 22, 2019.
The highly-anticipated film was given the green light shortly after the documentary Won't You Be My Neighbor? was released in June 2018.
Tom recently shared what he learned about the true impact Mr. Rogers had on children, which went beyond "entertaining" them.
This Thanksgiving will be an opportunity to celebrate family, friends, and the childhood hero Mr. Rogers. Nearly two decades after the children's program Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood wrapped up, the beloved TV personality's impact can still be felt. Now, Tom Hanks is helping share his legacy in A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, which premiered in theaters November 22.
Inspired by a 1998 Esquire profile, Tom portrays Fred Rogers's real-life friendship with journalist Tom Junod (portrayed by Matthew Rhys). To prepare for the role, the actor watched “many, many, many hours of the half-hour” show. While doing his research, the 63-year-old actor learned that Mr. Rogers was doing so much more than just sharing sound advice with the next generation.
“He wasn’t simply entertaining children or trying to turn them into consumers,” Tom has said. “He was gentle and kind and meant to soothe the fears of kids who don’t know how the world works.”
Throughout its 33-year run, Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood aired more than 900 episodes dedicated to a preschool audience, who grew up watching the whimsical host share meaningful life lessons like accepting others and the importance of expressing emotions.
"The really cool thing about Tom Hanks playing Fred is that Fred and Tom Hanks are similar in a really essential way in that they are gentle people,” Tom Junod told Esquire. “They are soft spoken people, but they are powerful people.”
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