Tom Hanks Has Heartfelt Response to Being Called 'America's Dad'
Hanks narrates the NBC nature series, which explores the natural wonders of the Americas through never-before-seen footage of animals in their habitat. While Hanks himself admitted that his off-the-cuff narration style is different from the typical nature-doc energy, it was exactly what Gunton was looking for when putting his series together. After calling Hanks 'America's dad,' the Phoenician Scheme star launched into a thoughtful response.
'I think that might say more about the induced trauma of family of origin issues for most of America. But I will say, I would love to be called something specific: The best park ranger they've ever heard,' Hanks joked. The actor recalled attending an event as a child in which he watched a park ranger hold court for nearly an hour. 'It was riveting to my 8-year-old mind. Believe it or not, part of me thought, 'How do I get that job?''
Hanks continued: 'Look, I have enthusiasms that are particular to me. I have a willingness to dominate every dinner table that I sit at. It's one of [my] character defects that I'm working on. But I'm going to treat that seriously when someone comes in and says, 'We look upon you as a dad.' Because the best dads are going to offer up wisdom, patience and just the right amount of discipline when the time comes.' He added that he's more than happy to accept the title in perpetuity 'provided I don't have to campaign for it.' 'I'm just going to have it handed to me!' he cracked.'People need to trust the the person who's telling these stories has got integrity and is telling them the truth,' Gunton explained of his reason for choosing Hanks to lead the series. 'Because nature is complicated, and people want to know what really is going on here, what's the real science, the real environment, all those things.'
Hanks added: 'There's no lies in this thing. There is no crypting together of stuff in order to present some sort of sensibility or an idea, or promote an idea…No CGI, no lies.'
Tom Hanks Has Heartfelt Response to Being Called 'America's Dad' first appeared on Men's Journal on Jun 19, 2025
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