Tom Hanks Was Asked To Go To Space With Jeff Bezos But Gave A Very Blunt Answer

Tom Hanks has revealed that he was asked by Amazon supremo Jeff Bezos if he wanted to go into space, but gave him a short answer explaining he wouldn't pay the astronomical asking price.

As we all know by now, the world's billionaires have been involved in a strange and vaguely unedifying race for space, with Bezos beaten to the punch by just a matter of weeks by Richard Branson.

In a second sub-orbital space flight, Bezos managed to take Star Trek actor William Shatner up to space, making the 90-year-old easily the oldest man to ever do so.

However, Hanks revealed on Jimmy Kimmel Live! that he'd been asked if he wanted to head up there and see the earth from a new angle, but the Forrest Gump actor turned it down because he wanted $28 million (£20m) for the privilege.

It turns out that even top Hollywood actors can't be that frivolous with their cash.

Speaking on the US talk show on Tuesday, Hanks was asked if he received the offer.

He responded: "Well yeah, provided I pay.

"It costs like $28 million or something like that. And I'm doing good Jimmy - I'm doing good - but I ain't paying $28 million. You know what, we could simulate the experience of going to space right now."

Then, the 65-year-old started off with an impromptu acting session.

First, he improvised taking off by shaking around in his chair, then using the same chair he pretended to be floating around in zero-gravity, and then returned to shaking about the chair to simulate the landing.

When he'd finished, he quipped: "I don't need to spend 28 million bucks to do that."

He's probably right, too.

That said, Shatner seemed to enjoy himself whilst he was up there.

Upon his return from above the earth's atmosphere, Shatner said: "It's so fragile.

"There's this little tiny blue skin that's 50 miles wide. And we pollute it, and it's our means of living. And I was struck so profoundly by it.

"The fragility of this planet - the coming catastrophic event, and we all need to clean this act up now."

A fine message, but does one really have to go up to space in order to have that realisation?

As for the around four minutes of weightlessness he experienced, Shatner said: "We had a simulator simulate what they say you're going to feel, and it doesn't come anywhere near.

"You could talk about weightlessness all you want but the feeling of weightlessness... is indescribable.

"You're floating, and I don't want to turn summersaults, I don't want to throw skittles - I want to look out the window."

Featured Image Credit: Jimmy Kimmel Live!

Topics: TV and Film, jeff bezos, US Entertainment, space, Amazon, Tom Hanks

Tom Wood

Tom Wood is a LADbible journalist and Twin Peaks enthusiast. Despite having a career in football cut short by a chronic lack of talent, he managed to obtain degrees from both the University of London and Salford. According to his French teacher, at the weekend he mostly likes to play football and go to the park with his brother. Contact Tom on [email protected]

@TPWagwim