Tom Hanks.Photo: Shannon Finney/Getty Images
With twoAcademy Awardsand his reputation as a beloved Hollywood star,Tom Hanksmight surprise fans with any self-doubt — but it’s there.
Speaking on Tuesday’s episode ofThe Great Creators with Guy Razpodcast, theMan Called Ottoactor admitted he has experienced “self-doubt that is pure neurosis” over the course of his career, despite generally considering himself “not a neurotic guy.”
For Hanks, 66, “Iwrestle with authenticity,” he explained. “I wrestle with the difference between lying for a living as an actor and lying to myself as a human being.”
Hanks went on to say shortly after that he doesn’t watch some ofhis own films, including his “big hits,“because he sees “the falsehood in them. I see the loss. I see that one time, ‘Oh, man, I missed that opportunity.’ "
“And it’s not because, at the moment, I chose not to — it’s because, after it was done, I realized I didn’t go far enough. I didn’t go to the place that I could have gone,” he said.
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human-interest stories.
From left: Tom Hanks inForrest Gump(1994),Big(1988) andPhiladelphia(1993).Paramount Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection, 20th Century Fox Film Corp/Courtesy Everett Collection, TriStar Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection,
RELATED GALLERY:Celebrate Tom Hanks' Birthday with a Look at His Incredible Career in Photos
“Then I asked myself, well, why? Was it because I was satisfied with what I had? Was it because I wasn’t up enough on the text? Was it because I didn’t have enough of those ideas in my pocket? Or you know, was it because I was late that day and we had to rush the shot and instead of six passes, we only got two passes at it? That’s where the self-doubt creeps in,” Hanks added.
Of how he chooses roles, the actor — who began his movie career with starring roles in films likeSplash(1984) andBig(1988) — said, “The question I ask myself is, ‘Is the theme of this movie worthy of the time and effort and examination of it to draw people into it, become involved?’ "
Specifically, when it came to signing on forForrest Gump(which would nab him his second consecutive Oscar win), Hanks recalled, “We all sat together for weeks with [directorRobert Zemeckis], and Bob was saying, ‘Well, what do we make of that?’ "
RELATED VIDEO: The Real Tom Hanks: An Inside Look at America’s Favorite Star from Those Who Know Him Best
As for what roles he has played that he relates to the most, Hanks admitted, “I’m not like any of these guys. I don’t have the wherewithal or the stick-to-it-iveness. But there’s a number of things I reacted to immediately.”
One example? The title character in 2007’sCharlie Wilson’s War, whose plight the actor could understand if he couldn’t relate to the character.
“Look, he wanted to kill Russians. That’s it. He wanted to take ‘em on head to head … I get that … but none of [my characters] were like me,” he said.
And “at the end of the day,” Hanks said, “I’m just a guy looking for the distraction that’s gonna make life interesting and fun … maybe it’s work at the same time, but it ain’t work.”
A Man Called Ottois in select theaters now and everywhere Jan. 13.
source: people.com
