Tom Hanks has directed 2 feature films
Tom Hanks has directed two feature films and a number of episodes for miniseries, but says directors are born to it in a way he is not.
Where this was said
Directing, Acting, and Tom Hanks on the Limits of His Own Talent
At 47:35 · chapter starts 45:56
Jason asks whether Tom was drawn to directing partly because he knew more than many directors he worked with. Tom firmly deflects: directing is 'a bit of an ego thing' and the moment you try it, you realize how hard it is. He argues every actor should try directing and every director should act — just to understand the other job. He then describes the frustration of being an actor with an idea in his pocket while a director says 'meh, try it again' without appreciating the difficulty of weeping on a horse while remembering six pages of dialogue. As for directing himself, Tom is honest: he has the instincts of an actor, not a director. Directors need fidelity, patience, and a belief that this is the greatest job in the world. 'And oftentimes it's not.'
What It Actually Takes to Be a Producer
Hanks draws a sharp line between himself and real producers: producers spend all day convincing people to do things they don't want to do, or telling people they won't get what they want. Hanks just says yes to everything.
Similar snapshots
AI novel 'Call Me, I'll Hide the Body' sold for $2.4M
A novel called 'Call Me, I'll Hide the Body' triggered a 14-publisher bidding war and sold for $2.4 million before critics alleged it was predominantly written by AI.
John Mulaney cold-texted Robby
John Mulaney cold-texted Robby Hoffman out of nowhere to offer to produce her Netflix special, which became Wake Up.
Posed as a courier to pitch HBO Canada
Robby Hoffman posed as a courier to hand-deliver her spec script directly to the president of HBO Canada early in her career.
Two Netflix specials filmed in one night
Robby and Mulaney filmed two shows in one night for the Netflix special; after the first they knew they had it, so the second was a victory lap.
250–300 shows per year
Jimmy Carr performs up to 300 shows a year, often doing two shows per night, which he says reduces nerves rather than increasing them.
Comedy optimal speech: 92 BPM
Jimmy Carr says that speaking at roughly 92 beats per minute is the optimal cadence for comedy and public speaking, including political speeches like Obama's.
The oldest joke is ~4,000 years old
The oldest recorded joke appears in a Roman book called 'The Lover of Laughter' and is still funny — a barber asking how a man wants his haircut, who replies 'in silence'.
Overton window expanded by comedians
Jimmy Carr argues that comedians like George Carlin, Richard Pryor, and Dave Chappelle have permanently expanded the conversational Overton window on sex, politics, and taboo topics.
Lion King musical: $11B lifetime gross
The Lion King musical has grossed over $11 billion in its 30-year run, making it the single highest-grossing piece of entertainment in history across any medium.
