Wednesday, July 15, 2020

TOM HANKS Shares Experience with COVID-19 on “THE LATE SHOW”



The really frightening thing about the 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) that has all but shut down the world for a few months of 2020 is that it could potentially strike and – and strike down – pretty much anyone out of the blue. Quite the number of individuals of varying levels of celebrity have caught, and sometimes succumbed, to the highly infectious virus. For instance, fans of actor-filmmaker Tom Hanks were shocked and worried last March when he announced that he and his wife tested positive for COVID while filming in Australia. They managed to recover fully before the month ended, but Hanks still has vivid memories.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Tom Hanks talked this past Tuesday, July 14, about his experience from when he and wife Rita Wilson struggled with the COVID-19 infection in the days leading into the global lockdown. He was interviewed during a virtual appearance on CBS’ “The Late Show” with Stephen Colbert, where he related how he and Wilson were surprised to have caught the virus while working on an Elvis Presley biopic on location in Australia. They were considered the “first famous people” to get and survive a brush with COVID.

"We had no idea how it could have happened, where it could have happened," notes the 64-year-old actor, seeing as he and Wilson, 63, only discovered their infection upon testing positive in Queensland, Australia last May 12. It was determined that they picked up the virus on their trip to that country from the US. Tom, Rita, and five other COVID-positive cases on the “Elvis” production set were hospitalized for several days. The couple were released on the 16th, but stayed quarantined at a rental home in Australia until March 27, when they returned stateside.

Tom Hanks said he and his wife exhibited different symptoms for COVID-19, with the actor saying that for 8 to 9 days he felt as if his bones were “made out of crackers.” Rita Wilson on the other hand briefly lost her senses of smell and taste, along with migraines and high fever. Following his recovery, Hanks is not quite certain if his infection have him immunity or if he could catch the coronavirus again.

Aside from Warner Bros.’ upcoming “Elvis” where he will portray Presley’s manager Colonel Tom Parker, Hanks also stars in WWII submarine war film “Greyhound” from Sony Pictures, now streaming on Apple TV+. The Hollywood star’s first (virtual) TV appearance after his brush with COVID was on NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” for April 11, giving the opening monologue from his house.

Image courtesy of Deadline

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