Fred Rogers's 3-word prayer
Fred Rogers told researchers that prayer only takes 3 words — 'Thank you, God' — a philosophy Tom Hanks adopted after playing Rogers on screen.
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Tom Hanks on Toy Story, Sequels and The Scene He Regrets
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Jun 17, 2026
Where this was said
Characters That Changed Him: Captain Phillips and Fred Rogers
At 33:10 · chapter starts 31:10
Listener Megan Pollack asks whether any of Hanks's characters have fundamentally changed him as a person. He says they all have, before homing in on two. Richard Osman calls Captain Phillips the best film of the 21st century, and Hanks explains that what made the role possible was the real Richard Phillips's willingness to expose his psychological devastation — to be examined 'worn down to a granular puddle of a human being.' But the deeper answer is Fred Rogers. [1] — Tom Hanks "Playing Fred Rogers changed Tom Hanks's life. Rogers's three-word prayer — 'Thank you, God' — became Hanks's own daily practice. It works f…" 31:40 Hanks says he didn't consider himself particularly spiritual. But everyone he spoke to about Rogers said both the same universal thing and something uniquely personal. Rogers was an ordained minister whose flock was toddlers watching television. When asked about prayer, he said: 'It only takes three words: Thank you, God.' Hanks heard that and said 'this is what has been missing in my life.' He now uses it daily — for pain, joy, and everything in between. It is, he says, a gift he received only because he played Fred Rogers in a movie.
Captain Phillips: The Best Film of the 21st Century?
Richard Osman declared Captain Phillips the best film of the 21st century. Hanks explained that the role worked because the real Richard Phillips gave him a 'dispassionate examination of his absolute being completely worn down to a granular puddle of a human being' — a phrase that tells you everything about what great acting demands.
Fred Rogers Taught Tom Hanks to Pray
Playing Fred Rogers changed Tom Hanks's life. Rogers's three-word prayer — 'Thank you, God' — became Hanks's own daily practice. It works for pain, joy, and everything in between.
The Cast Away Scene Tom Hanks Still Can't Watch
There is one scene in Cast Away — when Chuck returns Kelly's watch — where Tom Hanks knows he didn't get there. He does a gesture he considers false, and to this day he leaves the room before it comes on screen.
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