Open Post: Hosted By Henry Winkler Shading Tom Hanks
When you think about the limited number of dudes in Hollywood with unimpeachable reputations as unproblematic nice guys that everyone seems to love, Tom Hanks is usually one of the first names that comes to mind. And another man you’ve probably never heard a bad word against is everybody’s favorite Jewish leather daddy, Henry Winkler. Guys like Henry and Tom are all we have in #thesetryingtimes keeping us from turning our backs on Hollywood altogether (well, them and most of the ladies, Scarlett Johannson excepted). So what are we to do with the information that Henry apparently thinks Tom is trash!?!
On last night’s Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen, Henry revealed that not only was he hired and fired from directing Turner & Hooch, but also that his relationship with Tom might have been the reason he was shown the door. And perhaps most delightfully, we also learned that Henry is a master at throwing shade.
Turner & Hooch came out 30 years ago, so maybe Tom was going through a phase. I mean, Tom’s own son, Chet Haze, didn’t just pop out of the womb the fully realized introspective singer/songwriter he is today. So maybe Tom also had a period in his life when he felt a certain level of entitlement and wasn’t all that jazzed about The Fonz getting in between him and his artistic vision. It’s telling that the director they hired to replace Henry, Roger Spottiswoode, said this of his experience directing the film (via Mental Floss):
“I did nothing in fact except take the lens cap off each day and enjoy watching Tom—who was brilliant—and the dog, who was also brilliant”
Imagine the cinematic masterpiece T&H might have become had Henry’s creative vision been realized!
Pic: YouTube