Before becoming one of Hollywood’s biggest stars, Tom Hanks was just another rookie trying to survive in the industry.
In the early 1980s, when Hanks was deeply uncertain about his career. In the midst of those fears, Tom Selleck and his hit series ‘Magnum, P.I.’ seemed to crush all his hopes for a future in acting.
Tom Hanks Was Sure He Would Lose His Career Because Of ‘Magnum, P.I.’
While reflecting on his early days in the industry, Hanks recalled his experience working on an underrated sitcom. In the early 1980s, he starred in ‘Bosom Buddies’, a quirky comedy about two men disguising themselves as females to live in an affordable women-only apartment building.
Related: Tom Hanks Gets Brutally Honest About a ‘Cast Away’ Scene He Can’t Stand
The sitcom aired on ABC on Thursday nights after ‘Mork & Mindy’, and for a brief moment, it seemed to have a fighting chance in the cutthroat world of television. But Hanks recalled one exact moment when he realized their sitcom was in trouble. “We were on TV already for about four weeks, and then this thing comes on CBS, Thursday nights at 8 o’clock, about a good-looking cop with a mustache, driving a Ferrari and flying a helicopter in Hawaii,” he told SiriusXM.
This was Tom Selleck’s ‘Magnum, P.I.’ Even before its debut, the series had generated enormous buzz. Hanks recalled that it had landed on the cover of TV Guide, which was one of the biggest achievements TV shows could get at the time. That’s when Hanks knew that he was probably doomed. “Peter [Scolari] and I just looked at each other… We are toast,” Hanks recalled the moment he had with his co-star.
Unfortunately, his fears proved justified. ‘Bosom Buddies’ lasted only two seasons, whereas Tom Selleck’s ‘Magnum, P.I.’ ran for eight seasons and became one of the defining television series of the decade.
The Short-Lived Sitcom Still Shaped Tom Hanks’ Career
The competition between ‘Magnum P.I.’ and ‘Bosom Buddies’ was only part of the challenge, according to Hanks. This is because he knew from the start that the show’s journey was an uphill battle. “We were like the ugly stepchild,” he said with a laugh. “We were on video, and they were on film.”
In Case You Missed It: How Tom Cruise Rebuilt His Career After Scientology Nearly Destroyed It
Moreover, a 1980 Screen Actors Guild strike delayed work on the series and cost cast members valuable paychecks. Hanks looked back on how much of a struggle it was back then to just keep going.
But he still won’t trade that experience for anything. Despite its brief run, ‘Bosom Buddies’ ultimately became an important chapter in Hanks’ journey and taught him many valuable experiences that he needed during the early stages of his career. While ‘Magnum P.I.’ was dominating the ratings battles, Hanks was laying the foundation for the remarkable film career that would eventually earn him multiple Oscars.
You Might Also Like To Read: 10 Films That Capture The Beauty And Horror Of American Dream
