Natasha Bassett, Austin Butler, Priscilla Presley, Tom Hanks, and Alton Mason attend the screening of "Elvis" during the 75th annual Cannes Film Festival

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Tom Hanks Has a Surprising Connection to Elvis Presley That’s Been Woven Into His Career for Over 30 Years

Tom Hanks' role in the 2022 Elvis biopic made people view him differently due to his stellar portrayal of Elvis Presley's former manager.

by Produced by Digital Editors

Published on July 23, 2022

3 min read

Tom Hanks is a ‘diabolical genius’ in ‘Elvis’

Tom Hanks stands with Austin Butler, Priscilla Presley, and Alton Mason at the Elvis screening | Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images

Elvis is a big-screen biopic about the life, times, and music of the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll. It’s told through his former manager’s eyes and brought to life by filmmaker Baz Luhrmann. The movie follows Presley’s career spanning the ’50s through the ’70s and the singer’s musical influences. Additionally, audiences can witness the complicated relationship between Presley and his “diabolical genius” manager, Colonel Tom Parker, played by Hanks.

The movie opens with Parker on his deathbed, recalling how he first met Presley and how things unfolded. Parker was smitten by Presley from the moment he heard him sing on the radio. While he was already managing Hank Snow, Parker knew Presley would become the next big thing.

Parker and Presley met, and the manager convinced the unsuspecting Presley to let him take charge of his career. This began a lucrative ascent into fame. During the movie, Parker’s dirty intentions come to light. He’s shown for his true duplicitous and abusive nature that eventually exacerbates Presley’s downfall.

Austin Butler took on the role of Presley. He stars alongside Olivia DeJonge as Presley’s wife Priscilla, Helen Thomson as the singer’s mother Gladys, and Richard Roxburgh as his father, Vernon. Others include Kodi Smit-McPhee, Xavier Samuel, and Luke Bracey. Hanks said it was impossible to take one’s eyes off Butler throughout filming praising the actor for his performance.

Tom Hanks’ Elvis Presley connection ties together his 30-year-old career

For his portrayal of Parker, Hanks had to sit on the makeup chair for hours to embody the character and alter his appearance. However, his role in the Elvis movie only highlights the tenuous connection to Presley.

According to his 2006 piece in The New York Times, Hanks and his makeup artist Dan Striepeke met when Hanks landed the role of Detective Pep Streebeck in Dragnet in 1987. Striepeke has been in the Hollywood industry makeup game for years (40 to be exact) and has fixed up several actors for movies.

Through his makeup artist, Hanks shares a connection to Presley in a fascinating manner. Striepeke did the King’s makeup in Follow That Dream in 1962. Hanks told Stephen Colbert recently that Striepeke also gave Presley his iconic tan in the movie Viva Las Vegas in 1964 and worked on him again in Harum Scarum.

Years later, Hanks would appear in a movie about Presley, with everything coming full circle for the actor. Hanks and Striepeke were close buddies for 20 years and worked together in 16 films. Striepeke’s work on Hanks for Forrest Gump and Saving Private Ryan earned him Oscar nominations in 1994 and 1998. He died in 2019 at age 88.

Tom Hanks once played Elvis Presley

Hanks also played a version of the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll in 2004. The actor starred in the black comedy-drama Elvis Has Left the Building alongside Kim Bassinger’s character, who was a successful cosmetic saleslady who feels she isn’t honest with herself.

As she tries to look for meaning in her life, she keeps leaving a trail of bodies of Elvis impersonators. Hanks played Mailbox Elvis in the movie.