Tom Hanks caught a reporter off guard with a sharp-tongued dig when he was approached for an interview this week.
A reporter from MS NOW had sought a quick interview during the ceremonial opening of the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago on Thursday, when Hanks, widely viewed as the nicest guy in Hollywood, offered a brutal response.
The network’s Senior National and Political Correspondent, Jacob Soboroff, called out to the Forrest Gump star, saying, “Great to see you.”
A few awkward seconds passed as Hanks addressed others in the crowd, before he noticed Soboroff and responded slyly, “What can I do for the 800 people watching MS NOW?”
While Hanks was a bit off in his numbers, MS NOW averages 900,000 total viewers, which, like many cable news networks, has seen a decline in viewership, down from an average of 1.1 million in 2016.
Soboroff quickly informed him that he was filming live.
“Oh, come on. We’re live on MS NOW,” he said, to which Hanks shot back, “All right—add a zero to it.”
Good-naturedly, Soboroff replied, “I would say millions now that you’re on our air,” before Hanks finally allowed a quick question-answer session.
The moment went viral, with millions viewing the Oscar-winning actor’s jabs at the liberal-leaning cable news channel.
The network has undergone many changes in recent years. Until recently, the network was named MSNBC and operated under Comcast’s NBCUniversal before being spun out under the newly minted corporation, Versant, which also owns properties like CNBC and E!.
Hanks was only one of the many A-listers who attended the June 18 opening ceremony for Obama’s presidential library.
Others included stars like Stevie Wonder, Oprah Winfrey, Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder, Bruce Springsteen, Bono, and former Presidents Joe Biden and George Bush.
Obama Foundation CEO Valerie Jarrett said the celebrity appearances and performances were meant to inspire the community.
“The Grand Opening Ceremony will reflect a spirit of inspiration and joy, with a big boost from the performers who are sharing their talent with us. We hope to inspire people everywhere to believe in their power to bring change home,” Jarrett said in a statement.
The opening is a multi-day event that will continue into the weekend with a series of community events on the South Side of the city.
