Tom Hanks Speaks Out in First Interviews Since Coronavirus Recovery, Goes After U.S. Response: I Have ‘No Respect’ for People Who Don’t Wear Masks

Leia IdlibyJul 7th, 2020, 11:28 am
 

Actor Tom Hanks revealed that he is disappointed by the U.S. coronavirus response, and explained that the effort needed to combat the outbreak should parallel the sentiment shared by Americans during World War II.

“The idea of doing one’s part, though, should be so simple — wear a mask, social distance, wash your hands,” Hanks said during an appearance on the TODAY show Tuesday — his first TV interview since contracting the coronavirus. He went on to implore Americans to “do your part.”

The actor’s upcoming World War II film Greyhound prompted him to urge Americans to channel the unity and selflessness displayed during that time amid the U.S. effort to combat the coronavirus.

“That alone means you are contributing to the betterment of your house, your work, your town, your society as a whole, and it’s such a small thing,” he added. “It’s a mystery to me how somehow that has been wiped out of what should be ingrained in the behavior of us all.”

Hanks and his wife, singer-songwriter Rita Wilson, were two of the first public figures to test positive for the coronavirus in mid-March — making the topic a personal one for the actor.

“I think a huge majority of Americans get it,” he said about the severity of the virus. “There’s no law against ignorance, it’s not illegal to have opinions that are wrong. There is a darkness on the edge of town here, folks. Let’s not confuse the fact, it’s killing people. I don’t know how common sense has somehow been put in question in regards to this.”

“You can say, ‘Well, traffic accidents kill a lot of people too,’” he added. “But traffic accidents happen because a lot of drivers aren’t doing their part. They’re not using their turn signals. They’re driving too fast, they’re not paying attention.”

Hanks also claimed he has “no respect” for those who refuse to wear a mask during an interview with the Associated Press, admitting that he wouldn’t trust them with a driver’s license:

Watch above, via NBC News.

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