Tom Hanks has starred in some of the most famous films in American history, but his wife Rita Wilson revealed he turned down a now-iconic role: Harry, in the 1989 romantic comedy when harry met sallyAccording to Wilson, Hanks turned down the role because he was too happy about the divorce at the time.
That’s right—according to a new interview with Wilson on the iHeart Podcast Table for Two with Bruce BozziHanks enjoyed his divorce so much that he couldn’t imagine taking a role in the heartbreak-centric film.
“[Hanks]turned it down because he was going through a divorce and he was happy not to be married,” Wilson explained. “So he couldn’t comprehend that a person who was going through a divorce could say anything other than ‘I’m so happy.'”
The divorce was between Hanks and his first wife, Samantha Lewis. The two were first married in 1978 but split in 1987. Hanks met Wilson years ago on the set of the 1985 film, volunteer. 1988, a year ago when harry met sally In the premiere, Hanks and Wilson wed, apparently marking the end of his “I’m glad to divorce” arc.
In addition to Hanks, Richard Dreyfuss, Michael Keaton and Albert Brooks were also offered to play the role of Harry, but all declined. Billy Crystal – he just worked with director Rob Reiner in 1987 princess bride – ended up in it, starring opposite Meg Ryan.
As Wilson explained, sending the script to Hanks wasn’t exactly a waste. “I loved the script, I read it when it came in, and I was blown away,” she told Bozzi. Wilson was already a fan of the film’s screenwriter, Nora Efron, and the script added to Wilson’s admiration for her. Soon after, when the two met at a party, Wilson asked to audition for Ephron’s next project, Sleepless in Seattle – she eventually landed a role, and her husband Hanks starred in the film.
So, who knows – if Hanks hadn’t had a lot of fun with the divorce, when harry met sally Could have created a famous rom-com trilogy starring Hanks and Ryan. Hey, maybe there’s still a chance… Hanks will be digitized in Robert Zemeckis’ upcoming film, hereand with this technology, an aging when harry met sally A reboot might actually become a possibility.