Tom Hanks is so desperate to go to space he’s willing “to do whatever it takes” to get there
Published on Sep 20, 2023 at 6:31 PM (UTC+4)
by Alessandro Renesis
Last updated on Sep 21, 2023 at 1:55 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Kate Bain
Tom Hanks is so eager to go to space he said he’s “willing to do whatever it takes” to get there.
He’s so keen, he’s even willing to “serve food or clean the toilet”.
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The two-time Oscar winner is the co-writer and narrator of The Moonwalkers, an art exhibition in London based around the stories of the Apollo space missions.
Interviewed about the exhibition in the English capital, the 67-year-old actor admitted outer space is one of his greatest obsessions.
“I would probably sign up right now [to go to space],” he said. “I’ll do all the work. I’ll clean the toilet. I’ll serve the food. I’ll fold the clothes. I’ll stow the gear. That way the others could be free to do other stuff.”
Hanks was only 13 years old when Neil Armstrong and Apollo 11 set foot on the Moon for the first time in history, but he says he still remembers.
“I walked around the day of July 20, 1969, very cognizant that I was alive at a time when the history of humankind shifted,” the Forrest Gump star said. “We were now the generation that was alive when we landed a man on the Moon.”
This was probably the main reason why, a few years later, Hanks accepted the role as astronaut Jim Lovell in Ron Howard’s docu-film Apollo 13.
Amazingly, the chance to go to space in the real world did materialize for Hanks at some point.
Amazon CEO and founder Jezz Bezos asked to join him on the New Shepherd, the private spacecraft operated by Bezos’ space travel company Blue Origin.
“He asked me to go… provided I pay! You know, it cost 28 million bucks or something like that,” Hanks told Jimmy Kimmel during an episode of the Jimmy Kimmel Live show.
“I’m doing good. But I ain’t paying $28 million bucks [for that]!” Hanks joked.
He’s certainly right when he says he’s ‘doing good’.
With a net worth of $400 million, Hanks could certainly afford the ticket, but he turned it down.
Lightroom, the fully-projectable space in London's King's Cross, has announced its second show today — The Moonwalkers: A Journey with Tom Hanks.
— King's Cross, N1C (@kingscrossN1C) September 20, 2023
📍 Lightroom, 12 Lewis Cubitt Square, N1C 4DY
🎟️ https://t.co/BOvsyXCTe5
📸 Justin Sutcliffe pic.twitter.com/jvrxO5YSDK
Maybe there’ll be another chance for Hanks to go to space at some point.
In the meantime, we’re certainly looking forward to his exhibition at the Lightroom at London’s King’s Cross Station.
Alessandro is an automotive journalist with 10 years of experience covering supercars, automotive history, emerging vehicle technology, and luxury transportation. He wrote the first article published on SupercarBlondie.com when the website launched in 2022 and has since built a reputation for insightful reporting across the automotive and transportation industries. His expertise is grounded in hands-on experience. Alessandro has driven every Tesla model ever produced, from the original Roadster to the Cybertruck, and regularly covers the latest developments in electric vehicles and automotive innovation. His passion for transportation extends beyond cars, he has even flown a Boeing 787 Dreamliner simulator in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. His reporting spans everything from classic American muscle cars and rare automotive discoveries to luxury yachts, private aircraft, high-end watches, and cutting-edge vehicle technology. Known for his deep knowledge of automotive history and ability to uncover the stories behind iconic vehicles, Alessandro brings readers a blend of historical context, technical expertise, and first-hand experience.
