Tom Hanks plays Elvis Presley’s manager, “Colonel Tom” Parker, in an upcoming film, and in preparation, Hanks had a surprising dinner conversation with Priscilla Presley.
Hanks did a virtual interview with The Late Show With Stephen Colbert to discuss the film, which stars Austin Butler as Elvis Presley. The long-time actor admitted that he was days from shooting the film when he tested positive for COVID-19. Since then, he has recovered and finished shooting.
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“He was both a genius and a scoundrel,” Hanks described his character to Colbert. “He was a very disciplined man, but also a guy who you might want to check your wallet to make sure you still have all those fives and 10s.”
The real Parker died in 1997 at age 87, so Hanks and his wife, Rita Wilson, met Priscilla for dinner. Hanks expected to hear stories that cast the manager negatively, but the conversation with Priscilla shocked him.
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“I was expecting to hear stories about the distrust she had for ‘Colonel Tom’ Parker over these many years. And she said, ‘No. He was a wonderful man, and I wish he was alive today. He took really great care of us. He was a scoundrel in his way,'” Hanks explained.
You can watch the full interview in the video below!