Tom Hanks Initially Despised His Most Beloved SNL Character
The Oscar winner tried to pass off the David S. Pumpkins role to Chris Hemsworth before embracing the bizarre Halloween character that became a cultural phenomenon.
Most actors can simply walk away from roles they dislike. Tom Hanks found himself in a different situation entirely. The two-time Oscar winner had already committed to hosting Saturday Night Live when writers pitched him a character he absolutely despised.
The Birth of David S. Pumpkins
Bobby Moynihan noticed something missing from Halloween. The spooky season lacked its own Santa Claus figure. "We started joking around, saying, 'What if it was just a guy named David Pumpkins?'" Moynihan told Entertainment Weekly. The writer knew Hanks was scheduled to host right before Halloween 2016.
The pitch didn't go smoothly. "Tom Hanks hated it and asked us to give it to somebody else," Moynihan revealed. "And we said no." Hanks even suggested a replacement. "He thought it was very bizarre, and was like, 'Hey, I think Chris Hemsworth would make a great David Pumpkins,'" the writer added.
From Reluctance to Embrace
Something shifted between dress rehearsal and the live broadcast. "And then in between dress rehearsal and air, Tom Hanks went like, 'I'm just going to be weird'. And we were like, 'Yeah, great,'" Moynihan recalled.
That decision changed everything. Within weeks of the October 2016 debut, Halloween costumes featuring pumpkin-decorated suits and perms were selling out across America. The character struck a nerve with audiences in ways nobody anticipated.
A Lasting Legacy
Hanks has been an SNL fixture since December 1984. He joined the Five-Timers Club in 1990 and has hosted ten times total, plus made over a dozen cameo appearances. But ask fans about his most memorable character, and David S. Pumpkins wins every time.
The reluctant performer has returned to play Pumpkins three more times since that initial appearance. Given his ongoing relationship with the show, more appearances seem likely. Sometimes the roles actors resist most become their greatest triumphs.