Tom Hanks Avoids Question About His Dodgy Accent In New Elvis Biopic

Tom Hanks' accent in Elvis has faced criticism, so much so the actor even dodged a question about it. Catch the trailer here:

In Baz Luhrmann’s upcoming biopic Elvis, Hanks takes on the role of Colonel Tom Parker, the Jailhouse Rock singer's manger.

Despite the movie having not even been released yet, Hanks' accent has already come under fire.

On Thursday (26 May), Hanks was questioned how he researched his character's accent at the Cannes Press Conference.

However, instead of answering the query, the actor chose to go into detail about the intricacy of his character and how he uncovered details about his life.

Hanks said: "Was he a cheap crook that played fast and loose? Yeah, when it comes down to that, but I worked that all out to everyone’s satisfaction.

"He was a man who brought joy to everything he did — along with a bit of larceny."

Reactions to Hanks' accent in the trailers for the biopic have been widespread online.

One Twitter user said: "Pardon me everyone but what the f**k accent is Tom Hanks doing in this new Elvis movie?"

Another tweet reflected: "No matter how good the Elvis movie is all anyone is gonna talk about is Tom Hanks’ accent."

IndieWire's David Ehrlich reviewed Hank's take on the character as 'a "true true" performance defined by a fat suit, a fake nose, and an accent that I can only describe as the "Kentucky Fried Goldmember"'.

While Hanks avoided the question about his accent in the film, the actor reflected on how 'Baz tantalised [him]' into playing the role by presenting Parker as 'a guy who saw the opportunity to manifest a once-in-a-lifetime talent into a cultural force'.

He said: "He sought that and knew that about Elvis the first time he saw Elvis’ effect he had on an audience... He realised that guy was forbidden fruit and you could make an awful lot of money off of forbidden fruit.

"The amount of ways that Parker cheated people out of nickels and dimes and dollars is extraordinary, and in my own way I’ve incorporated some of that in my own life."

Hanks also noted his intrigue in playing Parker because 'no one knew the Colonel's background'.

He said: "There are some extraordinary, tabloidy, melodramatic stories about why and how he left Holland. I’d like to think, yeah, he was running away from an aspect of his past and escape his small town, and who among us wouldn’t jump at an opportunity to do that very thing?"

The film focuses on Presley and Parker's 'complicated relationship' which spanned over 20 years 'from Presley’s rise to fame to his unprecedented stardom, against the backdrop of the evolving cultural landscape and loss of innocence in America'.

Hanks concluded that Parker was a 'mercurial and brilliant man who at the same time lined his own pockets'.

Elvis is set to hit cinemas on 24 June 2022.

Featured Image Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures

Topics: Elvis, Tom Hanks, TV and Film

Poppy Bilderbeck

Poppy Bilderbeck is a Senior Journalist at LADbible Group. She graduated from The University of Manchester in 2021 with a First in English Literature and Drama, where alongside her studies she was Editor-in-Chief of The Tab Manchester. Poppy is most comfortable when chatting about all things mental health, is proving a drama degree is far from useless by watching and reviewing as many TV shows and films as possible and is such a crisp fanatic the office has been forced to release them in batches.