Tom Hanks Used This Expletive to Describe Movie Critics as He DefendedThat Thing You Do!: 'Can I Say That?'

Mar. 15, 2025

Tom Hanks on Dec. 5, 2023.Photo:Max Cisotti/Dave Benett/Getty

Max Cisotti/Dave Benett/Getty

Tom Hanksused an eyebrow-raising expletive while describing movie critics onConan O’Brien’s podcast.

When O’Brien, 61, asked Hanks, 67, about the actor and filmmaker’s 1996 feature directorial debutThat Thing You Do!during the Monday, Nov. 5 episode ofConan O’Brien Needs a Friend, Hanks — who was promoting his new movieHereon the podcast — used the phrase “c—suckers” while recalling a film critic who wasn’t initially a fan of the musical comedy.

“Let me tell you something about these c—suckers who write about movies,' Hanks said, prompting O’Brien and his cohosts to laugh. “Can I say that?”

“My father writes about movies, and his name is C—sucker,” O’Brien joked in response.

Liv Tyler and Tom Hanks in 1996’s That Thing You Do.Cinematic / Alamy

Cinematic / Alamy

While Hanks used strong language to describe film critics initially, he conceded that poor reviews — and the potential for time to reshape someone’s opinion on a movie — is “the thing we all signed up for.”

“That’s, you know, that’s the carnival. That’s the contest,” Hanks said. “Right? I got faith in that, that’s alright.”

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The two-timeAcademy Awardwinner is currently promoting his new movieHere, which reunites him with hisForrest GumpcostarRobin Wrightand their director Robert Zemeckis for a new film 30 years afterGump’s release. During the podcast, Hanks even referred toForrest Gumpas an example of a movie he worried would not land with audiences during production.

Tom Hanks in 1996’s That Thing You Do.Cinematic / Alamy

“We had worked so hard so much and we were only about 40% done with the movie,” Hanks recalled of a time where he doubtedForrest Gumpwould succeed. The movie is remembered at one of the pivotal films of the 1990s, taking home Oscars for Best Picture and Best Actor. “We had shot 27 straight days in a row in which included helicopter rides to places in America where Forrest runs across the country with a beard, without a beard. You know, we’ve been all over the place. And I’m exhausted.”

Hereis in theaters now.

source: people.com