Hollywood is full of random friendships but Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson being close with country singers Tim McGraw and Faith Hill came as a surprise to many. Who knew that Hollywood and country music royalty were best friends in real life?
It was a pleasant surprise for many fans when they caught Tom Hanks' cameo on Yellowstone prequel 1883. McGraw and Hill co-star on the new series as the Dutton family matriarch and patriarch. The series follows them on the trail from Texas all the way up to Montana where they will eventually settle down on the ranch owned by their ancestor John Dutton (Kevin Costner) on Yellowstone. McGraw, who plays James Dutton, revealed that Hanks agreed to the small role after he called up his longtime friend and asked if he wanted to appear on his Paramount series. A few episodes later, Hanks' wife Rita guest-starred in a few scenes opposite Faith Hill, who plays Margaret Dutton on the TV series.
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"You never want to botch a scene when you got Tom Hanks in there with you," McGraw told Cinema Blend. "But yeah, he's a great guy. We've been friends for a long time. Rita, his wife, and Faith are best friends, and Tom and I've been friends for 25 years, 24 years. I knew that there was this part in there, and I gave him a call said, 'Hey, would you be interested in showing up doing a cameo in this show that we're doing?' And he goes, 'Tell me when to be there,' and he just showed up."
Tom Hanks, Rita Wilson, Faith Hill and Tim McGraw at the 48th Grammy Awards. Photo by KMazur/WireImage for The Recording Academy
In the second episode of 1883, Hanks shows up as Civil War General George Meade in a flashback scene. McGraw explained that the battleground scene was an emotional one as his character had lived through some serious trauma during his time in the war. And he got to act opposite an Oscar winner. Regardless of their friendship, it's pretty cool.
Tim McGraw as James Dutton and Tom Hanks as General George Meade of the Paramount+ original series 1883. Photo Cr: Emerson Miller/Paramount+ (C) 2021 MTV Entertainment Studios.
"We didn't see each other that whole morning, because I didn't want to see what he looked like," McGraw continued. "He didn't want to see what I looked like, because we know each other so well. So when he walked on set, it was pretty magical. And when he puts his hand on my shoulder in that scene, you could feel the weight of the world between both of them with what had gone on. It was a pretty heavy scene."
