Tom Hanks had to wear prosthetics and a fat suit to play Elvis Presley’s manager Colonel Tom Parker. Hanks is considered one of the greatest actors of his generation and has done several iconic roles in successful movies.
Hanks used to gain and lose weight for his roles numerous times. He lost 50 pounds for his iconic survival movie Cast Away for which he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor. But Hanks can’t do body transformation for roles anymore as he is too old for such transformations, and he is also diagnosed with diabetes This prevents him from taking intense diet plans. That is the reason why he wore a fat suit and prosthetics. Hanks was also diagnosed with COVID-19 in March 2020 when the filming of the film was about to begin.
Who did Tom Hanks play in Elvis?
Tom Hanks played Colonel Tom Parker in the movie Elvis. Parker was Elvis Presley’s manager who abused him financially for his own benefit. Hanks played a bad guy for the first time, as he is known for the nice, caring, and heroic characters in his iconic career. Hanks broke his own type of typecasting by taking the role of a bad guy in Presley’s biopic. Parker was born in the Netherlands. He illegally migrated to the United States when he was 20 years old.
He got into the music industry to promote several musicians, including country singers Hank Snow, Eddy Arnold, and Tommy Sands. Parker helped Jimmie Davis to become Governor of Louisiana. As a reward for his support, Davis rewarded him with the honorary rank of Colonel. Parker met Presley in 1955 and, by the following year, Parker became his manager; shaped Presley’s career, and helped him sign various record deals. Parker managed his merchandising, acting in films, TV, and public appearances. Parker used to receive more than half of the income from the record deals; the income was quite high for a musical manager.
Parker made Presley accept military service to create his image as a boy scout. Parker also encouraged Presley to make Musical Films before launching himself again in his 1968 comeback. His influence was later short, but he played the role of manager until Presley’s death. Parker oversaw Presley Estate for the rest of his life. He struggled to have a steady income, and most of his wealth was lost in gambling. He spent his final years in Las Vegas until his death in the year 1997.
What are Tom Hanks's other famous works?
Tom Hanks’ other famous works include Big (1988), Philadelphia (1993), Forrest Gump (1994), The Green Mile (1999), and Cast Away (2000). His other famous works include frequent collaborations with Steven Spielberg in the movies like Saving Private Ryan (1998), Catch Me If You Can (2002), The Terminal (2004), and Bridge of Spies(2015).
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