Tom Hanks is one of those actors who seems to be so appreciative of their status in the industry that they'll be good sports about nine out of 10 times you ask them to re-enact or recall a favorite moment of theirs. In the case of Mr. Hanks, he was a damned good sport at an actual sporting event, as you'll see in the Instagram video below.
Thanks to the New York Rangers' official Instagram feed, we now have this wonderful video of Tom Hanks enjoying a Rangers game with an old friend: Wilson, the volleyball from Cast Away. Seeing as it's been 15 years since the co-stars have worked together, and their pairing ended with a rather watery sense of finality, it's nice to see that the two have patched things up and can enjoy a good Hockey game when they see one.
It's not hard to see even the most prickly co-star making nice with Hanks - who's not only a national treasure but probably one of the nicest actors currently working. Much like his legendary predecessor, Jimmy Stewart, Tom Hanks has always been an identifiable presence in his films; as well as a fun time on the talk show circuit. While Stewart had his moments of poetry on Johnny Carson, Hanks has moments like accidentally swearing on Good Morning America, re-enacting the piano scene from Big on The Jonathan Ross Show, and even creating a Saturday Night Live tradition. Though don't think he's above breaking out some metered verse from time to time, as he's dabbled in that as well, as you'll see in the clip below.
Some celebrities would probably not be as kind when it comes to being in the spotlight at a public sporting event. After all, all Tom Hanks was trying to do was enjoy a good game of hockey, and surprise... there's a camera zoomed right in on him. Still, the man was kind enough to wave to the crowd, play along with the Wilson gag, and get back to watching the game without any further hassle. It's that moment that shows how Tom Hanks is as approachable as he is talented.
Tom Hanks will next be seen starring in Steven Spielberg's Untitled Cold War Spy Thriller, which is set for release on October 16th .For now, though, we'll just have to start buying tickets to more New York hockey games, and keep hoping we can see the man himself in the flesh.
