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Why Tom Hanks is the Perfect Choice to Narrate NBC’s The Americas
NBC's new nature documentary series The Americas features narration by iconic actor Tom Hanks.
In February, The Americas, a brand-new 10-part nature documentary series premieres on NBC. The series showcases the entirety of the American landmass, all 8,700 miles from the Arctic to the Antarctic. The series is narrated by legendary actor and filmmaker Tom Hanks, which is a perfect choice for this ambitious new series.
Toby Gorman, president of Universal Television Alternative Studio previously told the Hollywood Reporter that Hanks was the first and only choice of the team behind the documentary.
“We asked ourselves, who is the American version of David Attenborough?” Gorman said. “We agreed internally there was a list of one: Tom Hanks. What we didn’t know was if he would agree to do it. [But] it resonated with him.”
Beyond being an icon of cinema, Hanks is the perfect choice for The Americas given how many history-centric and educational projects he’s lent his talents to over the years. Here are just a few of them.
Tom Hanks is a History Buff
One of the first major history-based projects that Hanks took part in was the 1995 film Apollo 13. The docudrama recreates the story of the ill-fated 1970 space mission, which was intended for the moon, but ended up requiring emergency measures to save its crew. The film was directed by Ron Howard. Hanks stars as Commander Jim Lovell and underwent real astronaut training to prepare for the part.
Continuing Hanks’ interest in space travel, he was also involved in the 1998 HBO miniseries From the Earth to the Moon. The series tells the story of the Apollo program in the 1960s and 1970s, and Hanks served as an executive producer alongside producers Ron Howard, Brian Grazer, and Michael Bostick. Hanks directed an episode of the series, and wrote four.
One of Hanks’ most well-known history-based projects is the 1998 World War II drama Saving Private Ryan. Directed by Steven Spielberg, it was the first of many collaborations between Hanks and Spielberg. The film, in which Hanks stars as Captain John H. Miller, has been praised for its attention to detail, and for raising public interest in World War II and the issue of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in veterans.
Hanks and Spielberg also reunited to co-produce two miniseries about World War II, Band of Brothers in 2001 and The Pacific in 2010, which depict the war’s European and Pacific fronts, respectively. As a companion piece to The Pacific, Hanks executive produced the 2011 documentary He Has Seen War, which reveals the lasting effects of World War II on those who fought in it, including PTSD.
Hanks also worked with Spielberg to shed light on other important moments from history. Bridge of Spies was released in 2015 and was directed by Spielberg with a script by Matt Charman and the Coen Brothers. It tells the true story of a real-life hostage negotiation and prisoner exchange between the USSR and USA in 1960, and Hanks stars as lawyer James B. Donovan, who negotiates on behalf of alleged spy Rudolf Abel.
In 2017, Hanks starred as Washington Post executive editor Bill Bradlee alongside Meryl Streep as publisher Katharine Graham in Spielberg’s The Post. The film dramatizes the 1971 decision whether to publish the Pentagon Papers, revealing that the administration of President Lyndon B. Johnson had lied to the public about its involvement in the Vietnam War.
Tom Hanks is an Experienced Documentary Narrator
Beyond acting and producing, Hanks has lent his iconic voice to several other documentaries on weighty topics. Hanks is the narrator of the 2005 documentary Magnificent Desolation: Walking on the Moon 3D. Directed by Mark Cowen, Hanks co-wrote the documentary’s script alongside Cowen and Christopher G. Cowen. Revisiting the subject of Apollo 13 and From the Earth to the Moon, Magnificent Desolation is an immersive IMAX documentary about the first humans to visit the moon.
Hanks has also continued his interest in World War II through documentary projects. The War (2007), directed by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick, tells the story of World War II. It is primarily narrated by Keith David, but Hanks is one of many notable actors, alongside Adam Arkin, Samuel L. Jackson, Josh Lucas, Bobby Cannavale, and Eli Wallach, who provides additional voiceover, reading excerpts from articles, telegrams, letters, and more.
Hanks also narrated the 2009 documentary Beyond All Boundaries, directed by David Briggs. The documentary was produced for and is exclusively shown at the National World War II Museum in New Orleans and is shown in an immersive 4D format. In addition to Hanks, the documentary features an all-star voice cast including Kevin Bacon, Viola David, Jesse Eisenberg, John Goodman, Neil Patrick Harris, Chris Pine, Brad Pitt, and Elijah Wood.
Hanks supported President Barack Obama’s 2012 reelection campaign, and as part of the campaign, narrated the short documentary The Road We’ve Traveled. The 17-minute film described major achievements from Obama’s first term in office, including his response to the financial crisis of 2008, the passage of the Affordable Care Act, and the assassination of Osama bin Laden. The short was directed by Davis Guggenheim and produced by Obama’s campaign.
The Americas premieres on Sunday, February 23 at 7/6c on NBC!
