Tom Hanks Almost Lost 'Toy Story' Lead Role to This Actor

Tom Hanks is an actor and a filmmaker who has played many iconic roles over the years. The actor has acted in comedies, thrillers, and even cartoon voice-overs. One of his most famous roles was Forrest Gump in the titular movie. He also voiced Woody in the Disney “Toy Story” series.

Although the actor has been in many blockbuster movies, he has also had his share of box office flops. Movies like “Larry Crowne,” “Itaca,” “The Circle,” “The Bonfire of the Vanities,” and several others all got low ratings when they were released.

Hanks’ success in his movies as a young actor definitely led to his iconic acting career. The actor revealed that there was one time he almost didn’t star in one movie that played a pivotal role in his success. Another popular A-list actor almost took up the role.

Hanks started performing in 1977 in the Great Lakes Shakespeare Festival. His move to New York City led to him appearing on a television sitcom called “Bosom Buddies.” The actor officially debuted in “He Knows You’re Alone,” a 1980s horror movie.

Hanks gained more popularity when he starred in movies like “Splash,” then his role in “Big” basically cemented his status as a leading man.” Forrest Gump” and “Cast Away” both brought Hanks a lot of publicity as an actor. This was merely a tiny fraction of the kind of success he would gain as an actor.

In the 1990s, the “Big” actor won two Oscars for Best Actor and was the leading man for several top box office films. Besides acting, Hanks has dabbled in film writing, producing, and even sat on the director’s chair. His most recent roles in movies like “Sully,” “Captain Phillips,” “Bridge of Spies,” and “Greyhound “ all embody his image as “America’s Dad.”

Before Hanks became the world-famous diverse actor he is now, he was firmly into comedies. After releasing “Splash,” the actor also starred in a sex comedy called “Bachelor Party.” He played the groom-to-be whose friends threw him a bachelor party right before his wedding.

Vulture reported that Hanks didn’t get the role due to the number of upcoming talents vying for it. Top among that list was Jim Carrey from “The Mask.” Carrey was like most young talents then and hadn’t broken into Hollywood yet. His first Hollywood production was in a sitcom called “The Duck Factory.”

The series was short-lived, and he starred in “Once Bitten,” a 1985 supernatural sex comedy about a teen who a vampire hounded. Hanks was doing pretty much the same at that time in his career, so Carrey would have been a good enough actor to take his place in “Bachelor Party.”

“Bachelor Party” success would have given Carrey the much-needed push he needed for his career much earlier. According to Box Office Mojo, the movie earned over $38 million to its production budget of $7 million. Carrey instead got supporting roles in movies like “The Dead Pool,” “Peggy Sue Got Married,” and “Earth Girls Are Easy” before finally landing a role in Fox’s sketch comedy show, “In Living Color.”

The show gave Carry the much-needed boost he needed to be a movie star. Still toeing the comedy line, Carrey went on to star in movies like “Ace Ventura: Pet Detective,” “Dumb and Dumber,” and “The Mask,” all in the ‘90s. These movies were huge hits and put the actor in the spotlight, ensuring his reign as one of Hollywood’s brightest stars.

Hanks is reportedly not too far off from his character as Mr. Rodgers in “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood.” The actor nabbed the coveted title of one of the nicest guys in Hollywood. Hanks’ niceness apparently extended past people he knew to complete strangers.

After a news publication by Taffy Brodessee-Akner from New York Times, many people on the internet started sharing their different stories about meeting the actor and how he always left a great impression on them.

In her article, Brodessee-Akner wrote, “Tom Hanks wasn’t acting when he was playing Mister Rogers. A journalist suggested that he’s actually playing Tom Hanks, but just slower.” She added that the interview soothed her because Hanks didn’t give the impression that he had any issues with journalists compared to other stars she’d interviewed. “