Tom Hanks is a cinematic titan who’s appeared in some of the greatest films ever made and worked with the best directors in Tinsel Town. Did you know, though, that Tom Hanks had a cameo in one of the best TV series of the last few years?
You probably didn’t because, to be honest, we barely recognized him when he did appear on the show, and it’s not like he regularly makes TV appearances. But Tom Hanks had a cameo in Yellowstone, or more specifically, the spin-off drama series 1883.
Hanks made a cameo during the second episode of 1883 titled, ‘Behind Us, A Cliff,’ where he played General George Meade. Meade appeared during James Dutton’s flashback to the American Civil War and the aftermath of the Battle of Antietam. Despite James fighting for the Confederacy and Meade for the Union, both men find common ground in the carnage of war.
If you’re wondering how Hanks ended up on the show… Well, wouldn’t you want to be on one of the best Paramount Plus shows? To be honest, though, it probably helps that Hanks and his wife are apparently really good friends with Tim McGraw and Faith Hill, who play James and Margaret Dutton in 1883.
“You never want to botch a scene when you got Tom Hanks in there with you,” McGraw told CinemaBlend when the episode aired. “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 and 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.”
Unfortunately, if you were hoping to see more of Hanks on Yellowstone, you’re probably out of luck. The Yellowstone timeline has moved on from 1883 to 1923, by which time Meade was long dead (Hell, he was dead before 1883). Still, maybe if Hanks is interested, they could do a spin-off. stranger things have happened.
For more old-west fun, check out our guides to everything we know about the Yellowstone 1923 season 2 release date, or get to know the 1923 cast.
Alternatively, here’s our list of the best movies of all time, the best Tom Hanks movies, and all the best action movies you can watch now. Plus, you can also see why we thought Dallas ran so Yellowstone could fly.