Tom Hanks: He won’t accept a role as gay in Philadelphia in modern times

• Tom Hanks played a gay man with HIV in Jonathan Demme’s 1993 courtroom thriller ‘Philadelphia’.
• He believes straight actors today would not be able to play an openly gay character.

In a recent interview with a renowned magazine, Tom Hanks discussed straight actors playing LGBTQ roles.

Read more: Tom Hanks opens up on playing Tom Parker in ‘Elvis’ biopic, ‘what have I done?

He said, “Let’s address ‘could a straight man do what I did in ‘Philadelphia’ now?’ No, and rightly so. The whole point of ‘Philadelphia’ was don’t be afraid. One of the reasons people weren’t afraid of that movie is that I was playing a gay man. We’re beyond that now, and I don’t think people would accept the inauthenticity of a straight guy playing a gay guy.”

He added, “It’s not a crime, it’s not boohoo, that someone would say we are going to demand more of a movie in the modern realm of authenticity.”

For his portrayal in ‘Philadelphia,’ Hanks received an Academy Award and a Golden Globe.

The superstar will next be seen in Baz Luhrmann’s polarising film ‘Elvis,’ in which he plays Elvis Presley’s devious manager Colonel Tom Parker. On June 24, ‘Elvis’ will be released in theatres.

Read more: Fans of Tom Hanks express concern after the actor’s hands shakes’ at the Elvis Presley premiere

Erallier, Tom Hanks recently sparked health concerns as the actor was seen shaking hands at the Elvis premiere in Australia.

On Tuesday, a video of the Forrest Gump actor’s hand trembling as he held the microphone went viral on social media

According to International magazines, Hanks’ ardent fans took to Twitter to express their support for the actor, who revealed his Type 2 diabetes diagnosis in 2013.