First Listen: Tom Hanks as Walt Disney

Tom Hanks grew up watching Walt Disney on television; now the actor will play the multimedia mogul in a film about his life. Saving Mr. Banks follows Disney’s development of the Mary Poppins movie. To prepare for the role, Hanks poured over archival recordings held by the Walt Disney Family Museum in San Francisco. He gave a sneak preview of his Walt Voice to Kurt Andersen, for Studio 360’s special episode “American Icons: The Disney Parks.” “I looked at and listened to every piece of footage and recorded tape that they had,“ Hanks remembers. “I wanted to get down his Midwestern cadence.” He learned that Disney used different personae — the lyrical Uncle Walt who spoke to children and the brash businessman who spoke with reporters. For Hanks’ impromptu performance for Kurt, he threw in a third character as well. Saving Mr. Banks opens December 13.