Tom Hanks recently spoke about what keeps him making shows or films about World War II, even nearly three decades after Saving Private Ryan. The veteran actor is co-producing a new History Channel documentary that chronicles the brutality and lasting effects of World War II.
Tom Hanks talks about his World War II projects
Earlier this week, the History Channel premiered the first two episodes of the documentary “World War II with Tom Hanks.” During an interview with the Hollywood Reporter, the actor shared the reasoning behind his fascination with World War II. He believes that there’s both a political and a personal connection between the war and modern times.
The Forrest Gump star said he wonders every night why he keeps returning to the subject. He initially wondered whether it was for its “poetry, solace, and enlightenment.” However, he noted that his fascination lies not only in the soldier’s bravery during the war but also in how it portrays the moral choices people face today.
Hanks continued, “Along with all that comes the tactile decisions that every human being had to make at that time to get involved. That is no different from the sort of tactile decisions that we have to make today about getting involved.”
The Cast Away star also spoke about the personal choices people had to make. Back then, certain groups claimed to be “racially” and “theologically superior” to anyone else. “The kinds of personal choices that had to be made in World War II were as blatant and as obvious as the difference between freedom and slavery,” the actor explained.
The 69-year-old actor said that he believes that those ideas still exist in the modern world. And because of this, the choices in history remain relevant today.
Since starring in Steven Spielberg’s Saving Private Ryan, Tom Hanks has appeared in and produced several World War II-centric titles. However, his fascination began at an early age because his father, Amos “Bud” Hanks, served in the war.
Hanks recalled how his father unexpectedly ran into an old wartime friend in a supermarket after many years. “I just saw these two men — they’re gods to you when you’re 10 years old — and they had a conversation then that was in such deep code that was not unlike moments I’ve heard again and again from an awful lot of veterans, who say, ‘Well, here’s something you have to understand,’” Hanks shared.
World War II with Tom Hanks is a 20‑part documentary series on the History Channel. The actor serves as narrator and executive producer. New episodes arrive every Tuesday, including a third episode on May 26.
