Losing Weight For Cast Away Was A 'Burden' On Tom Hanks

"Cast Away" is a memorable film for many reasons — there's something endearing and terribly sad about Tom Hanks' on-screen friendship with a volleyball named Wilson. It's also a terrific tale about perseverance, survival spirit, and the things that make life worth living. (The ending is pretty emotional.) The film is also pretty special for Hank's incredible portrayal of Chuck Nolan, a Fed-ex troubleshooter who finds himself stranded on an island after his plane crashes into the Pacific Ocean, leaving him the sole survivor.

Chuck eventually makes a home in a cave that shields him from the island's many storms, finds a quiet friend to fulfill his need for companionship, and makes a living from the packages from the plane that arrive ashore — all in the hope of surviving. He spends four years on an island, fighting off helplessness every new day, no matter the odds thrown at him.

Hanks underwent a dramatic physical change for the role. His part in "Cast Away" required staggering weight loss to reflect Chuck's experiences. So when filmmaker Robert Zemeckis suggested the crew take a break for a faithful depiction, Hanks agreed. It was an arduous task — he had to deprive himself of calories and grow out his hair, an experience that was burdening for him.

In a 2000 interview with Entertainment Weekly, Tom Hanks detailed the grueling experience of achieving his shocking, unrecognizable physical transformation. The actor praised filmmaker Robert Zemeckis for halting production so he could properly get into character — which meant losing about 50 pounds and growing out his hair. The transformation took a year, while Zemeckis made another movie, and Hanks gave up everything — his favorite fries included. Everything except for coffee. He told EW:

"Oh, those FFs, man. Those fries from France... The only thing I did not give up was coffee.... Nope, wasn't about to! Can't do it! Excuse me, no, I'm not! Ain't gonna happen, pal!"

The physical and psychological toll was massive, what with Hanks' character spending four years stranded on an island. The achieved transformation was unimaginable, and as you can imagine, Hanks found it to be a "burden."

"It was a burden ... And it was a burden because I knew when the time came there wasn't going to be anyone else to work off of."

The actor wondered if viewers would care about his character and the intensity of his journey, likening his experience to have been "as naked and exposed as one guy with a guitar on stage."

It worked. "Cast Away" earned Hanks a best actor nomination at the Oscars and praise from critics and moviegoers. It might be a film about the survival instinct and the determination often illustrated by humanity, but it's also about being motivated by love and companionship and trying to find your way when all seems lost. Hanks' commitment to the role makes it all the more extraordinary.