Back in 2013, the Oscar-winning actor Tom Hanks revealed to Daily Mail that his drastic transformations could have contributed to his Type 2 diabetes diagnosis. “The gaining and the losing of weight may have had something to do with it because you eat so much bad food and you don’t exercise when you’re heavy,” he admitted at the London Film Festival while promoting Captain Phillips.
Hanks had a history of yo-yo dieting for roles. In Philadelphia, he shed pounds to portray a lawyer battling AIDS. For Cast Away, he lost nearly 50 pounds to play a man stranded on a deserted island convincingly. The transformations were striking, but they weren’t without consequences.
“I’ve talked to several actors who have gained weight for roles, and just out of the sheer physical toll on one’s knees and shoulders, no one wants to do it again. I think that’s more or less a young man’s game,” he explained. Hanks decided he was done with roles that required extreme body changes. “I’m 57, and I don’t think I’m going to take on a job or even go on vacation again, but I see to it that I can gain 30 pounds.”
Despite acknowledging the potential impact of Hanks’ career choices, He believed genetics played a role in his diagnosis. “I think I was genetically inclined to get it, and it goes back to a lifestyle that I have been leading ever since I was seven years old, as opposed to 36.” His diagnosis was not a shock but rather a reality he had to manage.
Still, he refused to let it define him. “It’s not Type 1 diabetes… it’s just eating right, getting exercise, and taking the right medicines, and I feel just fine. It’s part of life, and I’m fine, thank you.” He also made it clear that he had no intention of lecturing fellow actors about their choices. “I refuse, refuse, refuse, refuse to tell other celebrities what to do.”
At the time, Hanks was busy promoting Captain Phillips, in which he played real-life Captain Richard Phillips, whose ship was hijacked by Somali pirates. The film’s premiere in London was a significant event, but Hanks’ revelation about his health grabbed headlines.
Years of dedication to his craft had pushed his body to extremes, but Hanks faced his diagnosis with characteristic humor and resilience. He accepted that health issues come with age and was ready to move forward. One thing was clear: his days of dramatic weight fluctuations were officially over.
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