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>> I WAS A LITTLE OFFENDED,
BEING FROM SOUTH CAROLINA.
>> YOU DIDN'T CALL FOR A LESSON.
>> OH, I'M SORRY, YOU LOST IT
FOR THE BURGEONING BROADCAST
CAREER.
LET'S HEAR SOME OF IT.
>> TOM AND I TURN ON THE DRAWLS,
NEXT.
>>> THEN --
TOM AND TIM AND YOUR ONLY LOOK
AT THE MAKING OF "TOY STORY 2."
>>> AND WHO ARE THESE GUYS> 
I AM ELIGIBLE.
>>> TOM HANKS IS A BIG STAR,
BUT NOT SO BIG THAT HE WOULD
WEAR SUNGLASSES TO AN INTERVIEW,
UNLESS HE HAD TO IN THIS CASE
TO HELP HIM COVER AN EYE
PROBLEM.
NOW THAT THAT'S OUT OF THE WAY,
LET'S TALK ABOUT HIS NEW MOVIE,
"THE GREEN MILE."
AND THE THINGS WE UNCOVERED, IT
HAS IN COMMON WITH ANOTHER AWARD
WINNING HANKS FILM.
>> I'M NOT GOING TO HAVE ANY
TROUBLE WITH YOU BIG BOY.
CAN YOU TALK?
>> Reporter: TOM HANKS --
SOUTHERN DRAWL.
RICH DRAMA STEEPED IN OSCAR BUZZ
SOUND FAMILIAR?
IT SHOULD.
>> PEOPLE CALL ME FORREST GUMP.
>> Reporter: FIVE YEARS AGO,
HANKS PARLAYED HIS TWANG-FILLED
ACCENT IN "FORREST GUMP"
TO OSCAR GOLD.
NOW, HE'S RUNNING AGAIN, THIS
TIME WITH A HINT OF LOUISIANA
FLAVOR, AS A CONSCIENTIOUS DEATH
ROW PRISON GUARD IN "THE GREEN
MILE."
WAS THE DIALECT
DIFFICULT FOR YOU?
IT TOOK PLACE IN LOUISIANA,
AND IT WAS KIND OF THE SAME GUMP
DIALECT.
>> THAT'S JUST THE MECHANICS
OF WHAT IT IS TO PREPARE TO DO
THE ROLE.
>> Reporter: BECAUSE, YOU KNOW,
I WAS A LITTLE OFFENDED,
MY BEING FROM SOUTH CAROLINA,
THAT YOU DIDN'T CALL MY UP
FOR THE LESSON.
>> OH, WELL, I'M SORRY.
YOU'VE LOST IT SO YOU CAN HAVE
THIS BURGEONING BROADCAST
CAREER, BUT LET'S HEAR SOME
OF IT.
>> Reporter: OH, WELL, I CAN GET
SOUTHERN IF YOU NEED IT NOW.
THERE YOU GO, RIGHT.
>> WHAT KIND OF RESPECT DO
WE HAVE FOR HER NOW?
>> Reporter: THERE'S CERTAINLY
NEVER A LOSS OF RESPECT
FOR HANKS.
"THE GREEN MILE" IS ALREADY
AN OSCAR FAVORITE.
IRONICALLY, WHEN "GUMP" WON SIX
AWARDS BACK IN '94, IT SHUT OUT
CRITICAL DARLING "THE SHAWSHANK
REDEMPTION," FOR TIMES.
THE DIRECTOR OF "SHAWSHANK"?
FRANK DARABONT --
THE SAME MAN WHO'S BEHIND
THE CAMERA FILMING HANKS THIS
TIME AROUND.
WE ARE FIGURING THERE WAS
STRATEGY INVOLVED HERE, THAT
FRANK DECIDED, "HEY, I'M GOING
TO GET TOM HANKS."
OKAY, SO HE WON'T HAVE
TO COMPETE WITH HIM THIS YEAR.
>> I'M GLAD THAT FRANK WENT
FISHING FOR ME BECAUSE HE GOT ME
ON THE FIRST READ.
I FINISHED, "OH, YEAH, WE'LL DO
THIS."
>> YEAH, IT'S MY REVENGE
ON "GUMP," I THINK.
I SNAGGED TOM.
ACTION!
>> Reporter: BUT JUST HOW
TERRIFIC IS MR. HANKS.
WELL, WE WENT TO HIS CO-STARS
FOR THE REAL DIRT.
>> HE'S KNOWN AS TERRIBLE TOM
ON THE SET.
AND IT'S DISGUSTING.
>> ME, ME, ME.
>> HE'S A WRETCH.
HE'S TOTALLY AND COMPLETELY
OVERRATED.
>> I THINK THAT IS ONE THING TOM
DOESN'T ADMIT FREELY OR OFTEN,
IS THAT THE SUPPORTING CAST
MAKES HIM LOOK AS GOOD AS HE IS,
AND I THINK HE SHOULD SPREAD
THAT $20 MILLION AROUND A LITTLE
BIT.
>> WELL, THEY ALL DESERVE OSCARS
BECAUSE, OF COURSE, THEY ARE ALL
JUST KIDDING.
TOM IS KNOWN AS ONE OF THE MOST
GENEROUS ACTORS IN HOLLYWOOD.
"THE GREEN MILE" OPENS
DECEMBER 10th.
BACK T DOMESTIC HOMICIDE.
