PHOTOSTom Hanks Reacts To 'Jeopardy' Contestants Who Didn't Recognize Him As Fred Rogers
Nov. 27 2019, Updated 5:55 p.m. ET
Tom Hanks was just as shocked as viewers at home to find himself unrecognizable. During an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live, the Saving Private Ryan actor was baffled to find out three contestants on Jeopardy were unable to identify him from his latest film, A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood.
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Jimmy Kimmel told Tom, 63, about the clip during his late-night appearance. “This was on Jeopardy last week, and I’d like to get your reaction,” he said before playing the clip. The viral moment from Jeopardy showed three contestants unable to identify Tom dressed up in character as the beloved children’s television icon Fred Rogers.
“You are kidding me! You are kidding me!” the actor shouted while laughing. “They didn’t even have any wrong suggestions? Bing, Woody Harrelson? Bing, Mahershala Ali?” he jokingly asked.
“What was the name of the category? Washed up career choices for 800? Bad casting for 1000, Alex?” the Saving Mr. Banks star teased.
Jimmy, 52, said that Tom turned into the persona of Mr. Rogers on screen, hence the confusion. "I look at it as you inhabited that character so beautifully that even they were absorbed instantaneously!” he exclaimed. Tom agreed with Jimmy and responded, “OK, I’ll take that, I’ll take that. Thank you!”
Tom added that the iconic sweater was to blame. “I think actually they were blinded by the red sweater. They couldn’t make anything out,” he joked.
On the November 18 episode of Jeopardy, three contestants were given the clue, “In A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, beloved children’s TV show host Mr. Rogers is played by this beloved actor." None of the competitors responded, and host Alex Trebek said," the film opens Friday. That’s Tom Hanks,” when the timer ran out.
According to IMDb, A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood is “Based on the true story of a real-life friendship between Fred Rogers and journalist Tom Junod.”
Even though the Jeopardy clue was labeled a biopic, Tom disagreed with the categorization. “I disliked that when it got announced it was characterized as a biopic. It’s really not," the actor previously said of the film. "It’s a movie that’s largely focused on a reporter and Mr. Rogers’ relationship to his life, and how the reporter’s whole world changes when coming in contact with Fred Rogers.”
A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood is now in theaters.
