Joey Paur
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Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan starred together in a few romantic comedies in the ‘90s in the films Joe Vs. The Volcano, Sleepless in Seattle, and You’ve Got Mail. But, they almost had the opportuning to star together in the 1989 classic When Harry Met Sally. Hanks was actually offered the lead role in the film but he ended up turning it down because he didn’t understand the sadness of divorce.
This little bit of information came from Hanks’ wife Rita Wilson during an interview with iHeart Podcast’s Table for Two With Bruce Bozzi. She said:
“People probably don’t know this, but Tom was offered When Harry Met Sally, and he turned it down because he was going through a divorce and he was very happy to not be married, and so he could not understand that a person going through a divorce would have anything other than just like, ‘I’m so happy.’”
Hanks divorced his first wife Samantha Lewes in 1987 and married Wilson in 1988. Billy Crystal eventually landed the role and the movie is probably better for it. Crystal was freakin’ fantastic in that movie and it’s one of my favorite roles of his.
But, it’s silly that Hanks turned it down for that reason. He’s an actor, right? Can’t he act like divorce is a sad thing? The other funny thing about it is that the movie isn’t really about divorce!
The story begins in 1977, and follows college graduates Harry Burns (Crystal) and Sally Albright (Ryan) who share a contentious car ride from Chicago to New York, during which they argue about whether men and women can ever truly be strictly platonic friends. Ten years later, Harry and Sally meet again and strike up a friendship.
What do you think about this? Do you think Hanks would have been a good choice for the role? What do you think about his reasoning for turning it down?
Source: Deadline