Tom Hanks goes over his questions for Walt Disney as he waits for him to thaw in an undisclosed location. (Our guess is in or around the Epcot golf ball.)
Hanks recently began working on “Saving Mr. Banks,” a film about the making of the children’s classic “Mary Poppins.” Hanks plays Walt Disney in the film, and knew the best way he could capture the essence of the Mickey Mouse creator was to actually meet him face to face and study him up close and personal.
The source told TDQ, “That’s the sort of actor he is, you know. He formed a terrific relationship with Jim Lovell while doing research for ‘Apollo 13.’ He met with dozens of World War II veterans while prepping for ‘Saving Private Ryan,’ and he even researched kids who had been turned into grownups by some magic wish-granting machine before he did ‘Big.’ He’s always taken roles like this very, very seriously.”
Hanks isn’t the first person, even in Hollywood, who has tried to get Disney thawed out. But until now, the Disney folks have balked at doing it. “For years, for decades even, people have been asking us to unfreeze him for one reason or another. Settle some Disney trivia, be a marshal for their parade, draw Mickey Mouse for their kids, stuff like that. And every time we denied their requests. But when an actor the caliber of Tom Hanks asks you to unfreeze Walt Disney, then by God, you unfreeze Walt Disney!”
The source said she was unsure if Disney will be unfrozen again for the film’s premiere, but “I did hear Walt and Tom hit if off so well that they’re planning a ski vacation together. Aspen apparently is better logistically for Walt’s, uh, current condition than, say, Hawaii or Florida or something.”