>>> WELCOME BACK.
>>> WELCOME BACK.
WE’RE SO EXCITED ABOUT THIS
SEGMENT.
WE HAVE TOM HANKS.
HE’S GOING TO BE JOINING US
LIVE.
ESPECIALLY AFTER WHAT’S BEEN
QUITE AN EVENTFUL 2020 FOR HIM
AND HIS WIFE RITA.
BEFORE WE CATCH UP WITH TOM,
HERE’S A LOOK AT THEIR
EXPERIENCE WITH CORONAVIRUS AND
THE MONTHS THAT FOLLOWED.
>> Reporter: IT WAS A TWEET THAT
SHOOK THE WORLD.
BACK IN MARCH, TOM HANKS POSTED
THAT HE AND WIFE RITA WILSON HAD
BEEN DIAGNOSED WITH CORONAVIRUS
WHILE FILMING IN AUSTRALIA.
>> I HAVE BEEN THE CELEBRITY
CANARY IN THE COAL MINE FOR THE
CORONAVIRUS.
>> Reporter: THE FIRST
HIGH-PROFILE CELEBRITY COUPLE TO
SHARE WHAT IT WAS LIKE TO HAVE
COVID, AN ILLNESS THAT WAS JUST
BEGINNING TO TAKE OVER THE
COUNTRY.
THEIR SYMPTOMS, DIFFERENT.
LOSS OF TASTE AND SMELL AND
FATIGUE.
WRITING ON SOCIAL MEDIA, WE FELT
A BIT TIRED LIKE WE HAD COLDS
AND SOME BODY ACHES.
RITA HAD CHILLS THAT CAME AND
WENT.
SLIGHT FEVERS TOO.
>> I FEEL GREAT.
AIM
I’M BACK TO NORMAL.
WE ARE STILL PRACTICING SOCIAL
DISTANCING BECAUSE WE WANT TO
SET A GOOD EXAMPLE.
>> Reporter: EVEN TACKLING THE
TOPIC WITH HUMOR ON "SNL" IN
APRIL.
>> EVER SINCE BEING DIAGNOSED I
HAVE BEEN MORE LIKE AMERICA’S
DAD THAN EVER BEFORE.
SINCE NO ONE WANTS TO BE AROUND
ME VERY LONG AND I MAKE PEOPLE
UNCOMFORTABLE.
>> Reporter: HANKS HAS
CONSISTENTLY BEEN OUTSPOKEN
ABOUT HIS CORONA JOURNEY
DONATING PLASMA TO COMBAT THE
VIRUS.
SAYING IN AN INTERVIEW THIS WEEK
WITH "THE GUARDIAN," THERE’S
REALLY ONLY THREE THINGS
EVERYONE NEEDS TO DO.
WEAR A MASK, SOCIAL DISTANCE,
WASH YOUR HANDS.
I DON’T UNDERSTAND HOW ANYONE
CAN PUT THEIR FOOT DOWN AND SAY,
I DON’T HAVE TO DO MY PART.
NOW FULLY RECOVERED, THE BELOVED
ACTOR IS TALKING ABOUT A
DIFFERENT KIND OF BATTLE.
THIS TIME ON THE BIG SCREEN IN
THE NEW WORLD WAR II ACTION FILM
"GREYHOUND."
WE’VE BEEN LOOKING FORWARD TO
THIS.
WE NEED THIS MAN THIS MORNING.
TOM HANKS JOINS US LIVE.
HEY, TOM.
HOW ARE YOU?
>> I’M VERY GOOD.
VERY GOOD.
THANKS FOR HAVING ME.
>> YOU KNOW WHO’S BUMMED RIGHT
NOW?
SAVANNAH.
COME ON.
YOU GUYS HAVE A THING.
I FEEL A LITTLE GUILTY I’M
TALKING TO YOU THIS MORNING.
>> DID YOU LOSE THE "TODAY" SHOW
LOTTERY THAT YOU HAVE TO SLEEP
IN THE LITTLE SELF-INDUCED
QUARTERS AT THE ROCK?
A LITTLE MINI BAR AND
REFRIGERATOR?
I WORRY ABOUT THOSE KIDS OF
YOURS.
THEY ONLY GET TO SEE MOMMY ON TV
FOR THE NINE HOURS YOU’RE ON
EVERY MORNING.
I FEEL BAD FOR THEM.
>> THE ONE THING YOU’RE RIGHT
ABOUT IS THE LITTLE BAR THEY
HAVE HERE.
I GOT TO REMEMBER, TOM.
I REMEMBER WE WERE SITTING IN
THE STUDIO THE DAY THE NEWS
BROKE THAT YOU AND RITA HAD
CORONAVIRUS.
AND I GOT TO TELL YOU, WE SORT
OF ALL HAD KIND OF A MINI HEART
ATTACK.
IT WAS SCARY FOR US BECAUSE THAT
WAS IN THE VERY BEGINNING WHEN
WE DIDN’T KNOW ALL THE THINGS
ABOUT THE CORONAVIRUS.
HOW -- IN THAT MOMENT, WERE YOU
AND RITA, WERE YOU AFRAID?
>> NO, WE WERE NOT, BECAUSE WE
WERE FEELING EXTREMELY PUNKY.
I DON’T WANT TO DISMISS OUR
SYMPTOMS.
WE FELT ROTTEN.
I HAD BODY ACHES, CRIPPLING
CRACKING BODY ACHES.
BUT WHAT WE WERE MOSTLY
CONCERNED WITH WAS AT THE TIME
IS WHAT IS NEXT.
THE AUSTRALIAN OFFICIALS PUT US
IN THE HOSPITAL AND THEY KEPT
VERY STRICT ATTENTION ON OUR
FEVERS BECAUSE IF THEY HAD
SPIKED, WE WERE GOING TO BE IN
TROUBLE.
OUR LUNGS, BECAUSE IF THEY HAD
FILLED UP OR SCARRED, WE WERE
GOING TO BE IN TROUBLE.
AND THE LEVELS OF OUR OXYGEN.
THAT IS WHAT THEY WERE DOING FOR
US.
BUT WHAT THEY WERE DOING FOR
OTHER PEOPLE WERE MAKING SURE WE
WEREN’T PASSING IT ALONG TO
ANYBODY ELSE.
WE HAD THE CORONAVIRUS.
WE WERE GIVING IT AWAY TO
ANYBODY THAT CAME WITHIN
DISTANCE TO US.
AND SO WE WERE -- WE WERE IN
AWFULLY GOOD HANDS AND WE WERE
VERY MUCH AWARE OF THAT WE WERE
MAYBE EXPLORING SOME BRAND NEW
TERRITORIES ABOUT THE PERSONAL
AS WELL AS THE PUBLIC AS FAR AS
HAVING COVID-19.
>> RITA IS A BREAST CANCER
SURVIVOR.
YOU HAVE DIABETES AND A STENT.
>> TYPE 2 DIABETES.
GO EASY ON ME, NOW.
>> WERE YOU CONCERNED GIVEN
THOSE OTHER FACTORS THAT MAYBE
THERE WAS SOMETHING TO WORRY
ABOUT THEN?
>> FIRST QUESTION WE ASKED THE
MEDICAL STAFF WHO CAME IN
COMPLETELY COVERED IN PPE.
WE NEVER SAW ANYBODY’S MOUTHS
FOR AN AWFULLY LONG TIME.
WE LAID IT OUT.
IS THIS GOING TO BE A PROBLEM?
AND THEY LOOKED AT US WITH ALL
SERIOUSNESS AND THEY SAID, IT
VERY WELL COULD BE.
>> WOW.
WOW.
DO YOU HAVE ANY LASTING EFFECTS,
TOM?
>> OTHER THAN SMART ALECK KIND
OF LIKE CUCKOO RESPONSES TO IT?
NO.
WHAT HAS LINGERED HERE IS THIS
SOCIETAL QUESTION, REALLY, OF
DOING OUR PART.
I DON’T WANT TO INVOKE -- NOT
EVERYTHING I SAY HAS TO BE TIED
TO SOMEHOW THE WAR EFFORT BACK
DURING WORLD WAR II, BUT THERE
WAS A SENSIBILITY THAT PERMEATED
ALL OF SOCIETY WHICH WAS DO YOUR
PART.
WE’RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER.
AND THAT MEANT DOING YOUR PART
MEANT THERE WAS A TINY BIT OF
STUFF THAT YOU COULD DO IN ORDER
TO AID THE ONGOING EFFORT THAT
HAD NO SIGN OF ITS CONCLUSION.
WORLD WAR II WENT ON FOR AN
AWFULLY LONG TIME, A BIG PORTION
OF EVERYBODY’S LIVES.
AND WE DON’T KNOW WHAT’S GOING
TO HAPPEN WITH COVID-19.
THE IDEA OF DOING ONE’S PART,
THOUGH, SHOULD BE SO SIMPLE.
WEAR A MASK, SOCIAL DISTANCE,
WASH YOUR HANDS.
THAT ALONE MEANS YOU ARE
CONTRIBUTING TO THE BETTERMENT
OF YOUR HOUSE, YOUR WORK, YOUR
TOWN, YOUR SOCIETY AS A WHOLE.
IT’S SUCH A SMALL THING.
AND I DON’T -- I DON’T -- IT’S A
MYSTERY TO ME HOW SOMEHOW THAT
HAS BEEN WIPED OUT OUT OF WHAT
SHOULD BE ENGRAINED IN THE
BEHAVIOR OF US ALL.
SIMPLE THINGS.
DO YOUR PART.
>> YEAH.
IT DOES SEEM BASIC.
HOW DO YOU THINK THE COUNTRY’S
RESPONDED, TOM?
>> WELL, I THINK A HUGE MAJORITY
OF AMERICANS GET IT.
THERE IS -- LOOK.
THERE’S NO LAW IN PLACE.
IT’S NOT ILLEGAL TO HAVE
OPINIONS THAT ARE WRONG.
I THINK YOU FLOUT A NUMBER OF
REALITIES WHEN TWO AND TWO DON’T
ADD UP TO FOUR.
AND GRANTED THIS IS A MYSTERIOUS
THING WHERE PEOPLE ARE
ASYMPTOMATIC, DON’T KNOW THEY
HAVE IT, DON’T FEEL BAD.
BUT THERE IS A DARKNESS ON THE
EDGE OF TOWN HERE, FOLKS.
AND IT IS -- LET’S NOT CONFUSE
THE FACT.
IT’S KILLING PEOPLE.
OKAY?
YOU CAN ARGUE WHAT THE NUMBERS
ARE.
IT’S NOT KILLING THAT MANY.
THE NUMBERS HAVE GONE DOWN, ET
CETERA.
YEAH, THAT’S RIGHT.
IT’S KILLING PEOPLE.
AND YOU CAN SAY, WELL, TRAFFIC
ACCIDENTS KILL AN AWFUL LOT OF
PEOPLE TOO.
TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS HAPPEN BECAUSE
A LOT OF DRIVERS AREN’T DOING
THEIR PART.
THEY’RE NOT USING THEIR TURN
SIGNALS.
THEY’RE DRIVING TOO FAST.
THEY’RE NOT PAYING ATTENTION TO
THEIR ENVIRONMENT.
I DON’T KNOW HOW COMMON SENSE
HAS SOMEHOW BEEN PUT IN QUESTION
IN REGARDS TO THIS.
>> YEAH.
I CAN TELL YOU’RE PASSIONATE
ABOUT THIS ONE.
>> WELL, I’M JUST AN AMERICAN
WHO’S GETTING BY IN THE COURSE
OF THE DAY.
>> YEAH.
YOU KNOW WHAT?
IN THE MIDDLE OF EVERYTHING
THAT’S GOING ON, YOU HAVE BEEN
WORKING AND YOU BROUGHT UP WORLD
WAR II.
YOU HAVE THIS MOVIE COMING OUT
CALLED "GREYHOUND."
THIS IS REALLY A LABOR OF LOVE
FOR YOU.
YOU’VE BEEN WORKING ON IT FOR
TEN YEARS.
IT’S COMING OUT AND IT’S NOT
COMING OUT ON A BIG SCREEN
BECAUSE OF THE WAY LIFE IS NOW.
IT’S COMING OUT ON APPLE TV.
AND I GOT TO SAY, I MEAN, I
WONDERED IF YOU WERE A LITTLE
BUMMED ABOUT THE FACT THAT
PEOPLE WEREN’T GOING TO BE ABLE
TO SEE THAT THE WAY I THINK IT
WAS PROBABLY INTENDED ON THIS
EPIC SCALE.
>> WELL, I’M ACTUALLY THRILLED
THAT APPLE TV IS MAKING IT
POSSIBLE FOR EVERYBODY TO SEE
IT.
NOT ONLY WORLDWIDE AS LONG AS
YOU HAVE APPLE TELEVISION BUT
ALSO THE DAY AFTER MY 64th
BIRTHDAY.
THANK YOU.
THANK YOU, VERY MUCH.
THIS IS A MAGNIFICENT GIFT FOR
US BECAUSE OF APPLE.
BECAUSE COVID-19 DID SOMETHING
HEART BREAKING TO US ALL.
IT CLOSED DOWN THE THEATERS.
WE DON’T HAVE THE CINEMA.
THERE ISN’T ANYBODY THAT DOESN’T
LIKE GOING TO SEE A GOOD MOVIE
WITH 800 OTHER PEOPLE WITH
SOMETHING IN COMMON.
BARRING THAT, APPLE TELEVISION
HAS SAVED THE DAY FOR US.
WE HAD A MAGNIFICENT MOVIE THAT
WAS NOT GOING TO BE SEEN.
AND BECAUSE OF REALITY I THINK
APPLE IS A BENEVOLENT STREAMING
SERVICE IN EVERY WAY, IT’S GOING
TO BE AVAILABLE AND VIEWABLE.
OTHERWISE WE WOULD HAVE
LANGUISHED IN A VAULT FOR A
MOVIE THAT -- LOOK.
IT’S 88 MINUTES OF A CINEMATIC
STORY THAT SPEAKS TO WHAT WE’RE
GOING THROUGH RIGHT NOW.
WE DIDN’T KNOW THAT AT THE TIME
WE MADE A FILM.
WE WERE TRYING TO MAKE A LEAN
VERSION OF PROCEDURES ABOUT HOW
DIFFICULT IT WAS TO STAY ALIVE
IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NORTH
ATLANTIC IN 1942.
BUT THE END RESULT IS THANK
GOODNESS THAT THERE IS -- YOU
CAN PAY -- HOW MUCH DOES APPLE
TV COST?
STAFF?
WHAT IS IT?
FIVE BUCKS?
IT’S A MAGNIFICENT DEAL.
AND WE ARE GOING TO BE ABLE TO
FILL UP THE SCREENS IN THE
LIVING ROOMS AND BEAN BAG CHAIRS
OF THE WORLD ALL IN ONE SHOT.
SO WE FEEL AS THOUGH WE WERE
RESCUED AT SEA BY A CONVOY WITH
A BIG APPLE LOGO WITH A BITE
TAKEN OUT OF IT.
>> YOU PLAY CAPTAIN ERNIE CROUSE
AND YOU PLAY -- IT’S THE PERFECT
ROLE FOR YOU.
I KNOW IT WAS WRITTEN BY YOU,
BUT IT’S PERFECT FOR YOU.
>> WELL, ADAPTED BY ME.
THERE’S A NOVEL CALLED "THE GOOD
SHEPHERD."
I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN FASCINATED BY
THIS PHYSIOLOGICAL POSITION OF
STATUS.
PEOPLE THOUGHT THE WAR WAS GOING
TO GO ON FOR TEN YEARS AND THEY
WERE EXTREMELY BAD GUYS ON BOTH
COASTS THAT WERE ENSLAVING THEIR
HALF OF THE WORLD.
SO GOING BACK, FINDING THE NOVEL
WAS LIKE FINDING LITERALLY THE
TIP OF THE PYRAMID THAT I’VE
ALWAYS BEEN TRYING TO EXAMINE
HERE WHICH IS PUTTING ANYBODY
WHO SEES THE MOVIE INTO THIS
VERY SPECIFIC POSITION.
WHAT WOULD I DO IF I WAS IN THAT
SAME CIRCUMSTANCE?
WOULD I CRACK UNDER THE
PRESSURE?
PEOPLE SAY WHY DO YOU KEEP GOING
BACK TO THAT ERA AGAIN?
BECAUSE I KEEP GOING BACK TO
EXAMINE THE HUMAN CONDITION OF
HOW DO -- HOW DOES ONE DEAL WITH
A PRESSURE THAT NEVER LETS UP?
>> WOW.
>> HOW DO YOU GET BY THAT
CRACKING 48 HOURS OR 72 HOURS IN
WHICH YOU HAVE NO IDEA IF YOU’RE
DOING THE RIGHT THING?
THAT FASCINATES ME.
>> WELL, THE FILM IS OUT.
PEOPLE ARE GOING TO LOVE TO SEE
IT.
BEFORE YOU GO, DO YOU HAVE
ANY -- I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE
ARE FEELING A LITTLE ANXIOUS IN
THIS MOMENT.
WHENEVER I LOOK TO YOU, I THINK
I BET HE’LL HAVE THE RIGHT THING
TO SAY.
DO YOU HAVE ANY WORDS OF WISDOM
BEFORE WE SAY GOOD-BYE?
>> WELL, I WOULD LIKE TO BE FLIP
AND JUST SAY THANK YOU, HODA,
WE’LL BE RIGHT BACK AFTER THESE
WORDS.
YOU KNOW, LOOK.
I’M JUST A DUDE WHO STUMBLED
AROUND AND MADE A HECK OF A
NUMBER OF MISTAKES, BUT I WILL
SAY ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I’VE
LEARNED IS MORE SHALL BE
REVEALED, THIS TOO SHALL PASS.
YOU AND I AND I THINK EVERYBODY
WATCHING THE "TODAY" SHOW RIGHT
NOW REALLY ONLY HAS A WINDOW OF
THREE DAYS IN OUR LIVES THAT WE
CAN EFFECT A PLACE ON OUR
STATION IN THIS WORLD.
WE HAVE YESTERDAY THAT I THINK
HAS PROVIDED US SOME
UNDERSTANDING.
WE HAVE TODAY IN WHICH WE WAKE
UP AND ARE PROACTIVE AND SEEK
SOMEHOW THE ABILITY TO DO OUR
PART.
AND THEN THAT GIVES US A REASON
TO HAVE FAITH IN TOMORROW.
THAT’S SUCH AN EASY THING TO SAY
TO PEOPLE WHO ARE SUFFERING
THROUGH ALL SORTS OF ECONOMIC
INSECURITIES
INSECURITIES.
I THINK IT’S A LITTLE PERHAPS
POLY
POLYLYANNA
POLLYANNA
POLLYANNAISH, BUT WE’RE IN THIS
TOGETHER.
AND THERE ARE THINGS WE CAN DO
IN ORDER TO HELP OUR STREET, OUR
NEIGHBORHOOD, OUR TOWN, OUR
CITY, OUR STATE, OUR NATION.
>> WELL, TOM, WE LOVE YOU.
THANK YOU.
GIVE OUR LOVE TO RITA AND LET
HER KNOW --
>> THANK YOU DPP YOU FIND MY
SECRET BOOK?
DID YOU SEE IT ON MY BOOK?
>> TOM WAS REARRANGING BOOKS.
I THINK IT WAS THE ALCHEMIST.
>> NO.
I’M GOING TO SHOW IT TO YOU.
HOLD ON.
>> HOLD ON.
WHICH WAS WAS IT?
LET’S SEE.
OH!
>> GREEN EGGS AND HAM.
>> LOVE IT.
LOVE IT.
>> AND IF YOU WANT, JUST AS YOU
GO OFF TO A COMMERCIAL, I’LL
BEGIN THE READING OF IT.
AND WE CAN ALL --
>> ALL RIGHT.
GOING INTO BREAK AS HE GOES.
>> YOU CAN FIND IT ON APPLE
BOOKS.
I’M SURE IT’S AVAILABLE.
