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Tom Hanks Shares His Approach To Playing Real People - While Getting Punched By Maisie Williams

Tom Hanks Shares His Approach To Playing Real People - While Getting Punched By Maisie Williams

He was joined on the show by 'GoT' star Maisie Williams and world heavyweight champ Anthony Joshua, while music came from This is the Kit

Jess Hardiman

Jess Hardiman

On tonight's episode of The Graham Norton Show, Tom Hanks shared his approach to playing real people - while also getting punched by Maisie Williams, we should add - giving us some solid insight to why he's considered the greatest actor in entertainment history, according to one poll.

Credit: The Graham Norton Show / BBC

He was joined on the sofa by fellow guests, Game of Thrones actress Maisie Williams and world heavyweight champ Anthony Joshua, while music came from This is the Kit.

Graham asked Tom if, when playing real people, he liked to seek them out if they were still alive.

Tom replied: "I say to them: 'Now, look, I'm playing you, so for good or for bad I'm you. You're gonna get that for a long time: I'm you. Deal with it'.'"

He added: "I do want to know what they have to say about it, because they've always read the screenplay and I want to say 'If you think anything is actual horse-cock in this, let me know'."

Hanks also took the opportunity to chat about his new film with Meryl Streep in the form of the Spielberg political drama The Post.

"It really does capture the zeitgeist of the moment - it takes place in 1971 but it's written as though it's 2017," he said.

"The issues are the same as now - people don't change, politics don't change and the quest for power is always there. Someone is always chasing the dragon of power.

"People have said that we have obviously steered the film towards current events, but the truth is we didn't change a thing. We reflected the historic record and it just happens to be ripped right out of today's headlines."

The Graham Norton Show / BBC

When asked about weird requests from Game of Thrones fans, Maisie revealed that people liked to go a bit high concept.

"My character has a list of the people she wants to kill," she explained. "So people come up to me and ask me to recite the list and add their names at the end."

Maisie then recited the fictional death list - adding Tom, Anthony and Graham for the lols.

The much anticipated final series of HBO hit GoT apparently won't be hitting screens until 2019 (sigh), but Maisie revealed that they're at least having fun with production.

"It will air next year," she said. "We're still making it. It is so much fun now there is only a small group of us left and it's exciting to know everything that is going on."

She also showed off her stage fighting prowess, proving she's got absolute tekkers - and guts - by also throwing a punch at Hanks. Brave.

The Graham Norton Show / BBC

Meanwhile, boxer Joshua discussed people trying to pick fights with him, saying: "I keep things separate. There is me in the ring and then there is my family and being an ambassador of the sport outside the ring but some people can't make that distinction and approach me in an over confident and rough way.

"I'm still a street kid at heart - don't let the nice suit fool you - so I have to balance not slamming them back while letting them know I am not to be fooled with."

He also talked about working as a promoter alongside his boxing career, adding: "I've always had the mindset that when athletes' careers come to an end it's the natural step after retirement and I want to be two steps ahead.

"I like using the momentum of competing to help guide and develop others' careers."

Featured Image Credit: PA

Topics: uk tv, Entertainment News, Entertainment, TV and Film, Celebrity, Anthony Joshua, maisie williams, Graham Norton, the graham norton show, TV, Tom Hanks, Game of Thrones