Here's something difficult to watch. It's Tom Hanks giving a keynote speech for SONY in 2009, and it's rather painful to watch. Whilst I, as a fan, have felt a bit uncomfortable seeing my acting hero doing the giant-budget-bore films recently, I think there's an element of that feeling in him too.
He had to give this keynote speech as part of his contract for Angels & Demons. As the speech progresses, he gets more and more awkward with the material he's made to read from the prompter; and when the big Sony boss comes on stage, their joking with each other does have some 'ouch' moments - and there's genuine tension between them. Hanks jokes that he's not getting his Angels & Demons paycheck until the speech is done - yet, funnily enough, there is truth to that.Here's Tom Hanks, doing his corporate duty; yet remarkably, by some miracle, maintaining his integrity and remaining my complete All-American hero. Fascinating, funny, and painful. This video demonstrates the remarkable tension that exists between the business side and the creative side of the industry. Even Tom Hanks isn't immune.
