Remaking History

(2 of 2)

HANKS What advice can you possibly give? Just do good work, you know? That's about it. Oh, and don't talk to the press too much. I remember being told that if you did not have a good set on Johnny Carson, you were going to be set back years in your career.

ROBERTS I couldn't get on Carson.

HOFFMAN You what?

ROBERTS You had to audition to go on Johnny Carson, and I didn't get on.

HOFFMAN That's ridiculous.

HANKS But the truth is, look, there's only 24 hours in the day. And if you're not doing work that is good enough to make people want to set aside YouTube, set aside the stuff that they've TiVoed, set aside the stuff that's coming in from Netflix, set aside anything that is going on, if you're not doing good enough work to make people think, Oh, there's this movie that I want to see, then you're done. We sleep for eight hours a day; we work for eight hours a day. You have about four hours to entertain yourselves. You have to do something that's going to be interesting enough for someone to say, I'm going to spend my four hours a day watching this movie.

ROBERTS I just want to sign up for that eight hours of sleep. Where do I get on that bus?

Tom, are you doing Da Vinci 2?

HANKS Oh, yeah, let's call it that! [Laughter.] But I got other stuff first. I got a John Adams movie.

And Julia?

ROBERTS Got a little project with Clive Owen.

HANKS Clive Owen--I hear he's your main boy.

HOFFMAN That's what I heard too. Whatever.

HANKS She's got everybody on a little string. She's a puppet mistress is what she is.

ROBERTS Tony Gilroy is writing it and directing.

HANKS Can we be in it?

ROBERTS I'll make a couple of calls, and I'll text you.