Tom Hanks speaks at Oxford Union - Cherwell

On Friday evening, Tom Hanks gave a speech to a packed audience at the Oxford Union. During his talk, he touched on the significance of empathy when it comes to acting, his past collaborations with esteemed directors such as Steven Spielberg, and the growing influence of streaming platforms.

In the start of his talk, Tom Hanks had the crowd participate in a fun exercise. He asked them to say the phrase "is there something I can do for you?" in three different ways. Each way would represent a different situation: helping an old person who fell, assisting someone at a bank, or dealing with a customer who might be stealing. After they did that, he told everyone to imagine they were the person receiving help in the second scenario and say, "It's all right, I'm okay."

Hanks explained that the exercise aimed to showcase the varying meanings that one line of dialogue can convey based on the context and the way it is delivered. He emphasized that performers and storytellers must possess the skill to decipher subtle shades of meaning in dialogue and connect with the characters on an emotional level for a compelling performance.

During the speech, Emma Watson, who just began studying for a master's degree at the University, got up from her seat in the first row and began to exit the room. Tom Hanks acknowledged her as she approached the door, mentioning how he had a great time working alongside her in their 2017 movie "The Circle." Watson reciprocated by complimenting Hanks before making her exit, stating that few people she's worked with are as genuinely kind as he appears to be, but Tom is one of them.

Moving on to the Q&A session of the event, the President of the Union, Disha Hegde, posed a question to the actor who has won an Academy Award. She asked for his opinion on the common saying "It's not what you know, it's who you know". In response, Hanks stated that he didn't agree with it and believed that no person who lacks skill in acting would be cast in a movie solely based on their association with someone who aided them in receiving the job. He went on to explain that if someone couldn't perform well, that was the only reason they wouldn't get hired, and it wasn't any more complicated than that.

He clarified his stance by saying that having a distinguished reputation can sometimes facilitate you in securing opportunities. However, he stressed that building such a reputation requires you to excel and demonstrate your capabilities.

Later on, Hegde inquired about Tom Hanks' experience collaborating with director Steven Spielberg. In response, Hanks disclosed that on certain occasions, "Steven takes charge of everything for you." However, there are times when Spielberg would notify the crew to give their best as he is uncertain about how to approach a particular scene.

Hanks emphasized that actors must come prepared with their lines no matter the filming situation. He stressed that being punctual, knowledgeable about the job, and having a personal idea is crucial.

When asked about the impact of media streaming services on the film industry, Hanks conveyed that the most crucial factor, both now and in the future, is the narrative.

All you need to do is narrate a tale that is incredibly captivating to the extent that individuals would take notice of it and crave to witness it.

Hanks believes that streaming platforms such as Netflix and Hulu, which offer a wide range of choices and minimal obligation, have significantly transformed the film industry. The availability of various options has made it crucial for films to have an engaging storyline, as it is now regarded as a benchmark for success.

Hanks talked about the common belief that "today's movies cannot compare to The Godfather," but he disagreed and said that there are numerous excellent films in existence, and the variety is vast.

During the Q&A session, a person who admires Tom Hanks posed a question regarding his process of compiling his short stories in the book titled "Uncommon Type". Hanks spoke about how writing can be both freeing and difficult, and also shared some new techniques that he has implemented to enhance his writing abilities. He mentioned that he now sets a timer for twenty-five minutes each time he writes, which helps him to take ample breaks.

During a recent event, an attendee in the crowd posed a question to Tom Hanks regarding which of his character's situations would be his least preferred. Due to the attendee's Bristol dialect, Hanks had difficulty understanding the inquiry and requested multiple repetitions. Finally, he sought assistance from the Union President to interpret the question and humorously teased the student's accent.

During the event, Hanks shared the challenges that Captain Sully faced when he safely landed an Airbus A320 on the Hudson River in 2009. He also mentioned that he had a meeting with Sully where they went over the script for the movie that came out in 2016, where Hanks portrayed the main character. Hanks humorously admitted that he felt like a coward compared to Sully, which made everyone laugh.

The last inquiry came from a previous head of the Union. She revealed to Hanks that her offspring was a score producer in the motion picture industry. Then, she asked him about music's significance in films. Hanks answered that the background score of a movie holds substantial significance. He further added that a bad score could destroy a movie. He also pointed out that filmmaking is a complicated and elaborate art. Various artists, actors, musicians, and prop experts need to work effortlessly together to make a movie successful. They all have to be highly skilled to produce a top-notch film.

Hanks concluded his speech by repeating his comment about the significance of being ready and putting in effort: "Nothing can replace showing up punctually, having knowledge of the job you're doing, and having a plan."