primroseburrows | ...and now for another episode of When Apples Met Oranges, starring Tom Hanks and Paul Gross.

I think they mean they're both talented, clean-cut and likeable.

One of those people you just can't not like.

Did I ever talk about Band of Brothers with you, btw? Tom Hanks directed part of that and it's so fucking awesome and so utterly slashy that I believer everyone ever should see it.

Or they're likeable, actors-turned-directors? Talented and multifaceted? I dunno. They are nothing alike, really.

See added Visual Aids. :)

It's on my list of Things to See. <lj user="peacey" keeps raving about how much I would like it.

peacey is not wrong.

Seriously.

Now that I have a good look at the visual aids, I see they almost have the same coloured eyes.

Just saying.

It is a tortuous comparison because I can seriously not think of anyone who is like Paul in the US and it doesn't help the reader at all to mention Tom Hanks when trying to understand who Paul is, as it completely disregards his other roles in the industry for which Paul is equally known.

I took the Tom Hanks thing to refer simply to their respective status: Paul is (highly arguably) the most famous and successful actor north of the border at present, as well as being one of its most versatile; but there the comparison ends really - it certainly wasn't referring to a physical similarity at all. Paul is far edgier as an actor, has way more gravitas and charisma and takes on more interesting projects in my view -and I like Tom Hanks, don't get me wrong, but he hardly dings my bell and I am rarely entranced by him although I appreciate his work.

And Paul as Forrest Gump? I can't believe for a minute that Paul would take on that pile of steaming sacchariny crap. Aside from a few mis-steps, he appears to have a very finely-tuned crapometer in terms of his career.
Of course the other big difference between the two actors is this: Paul has actually done really good work post-1995.

Hm. I think they mean the sweet-little-boy look, but it makes Paul sound more... well, boring, than he is. Paul Gross is flamboyant, a little bitchy and unpredictable. Tom Hanks is more of a, well, canvas for people to project onto. He has a kind of stealth darkness under it, but it's not the same effect.

-_- *hides eyes from appalling comparison*

If I didn't know better, i.e. was a P.G. virgin, the Tom Hanks reference wouldn't have made me rush out and watch. Probably the opposite.

But yay! for rave review. Sooooooooo well deserved.

(My friend at choir has now watched all my DVDs and keeps nagging about s3 - everyone falls under the spell of Geoffrey in the end. It's inevitable.)

I join you in the general jawdroppery. Tom Hanks?!?

*grabs soapbox*
It's cultural imperialism. The writer can't imagine that someone of PG's talent can exist in his own right outside of this country. So in order for the not-so-smart American cultural unelite to understand PG's talents - they have to compare him to Tom Hanks. Who is quite talented - but not nearly as much as our dear Canadian friend.
//end rant//

Seriously.

And "Rome." Seriously.

Now that I have a good look at the visual aids, I see they almost have the same coloured eyes.

Hmm. Maybe almost. Paul's eyes have more grey in them, and are a little darker. I think. I have similar coloured eyes, and I never know whether they're blue-grey or grey-blue or something else, because they change with what I'm wearing. Not to mention I've never been compared to either of them.

I guess they're all those things, but that's all circumstantial, and wouldn't make anyone jump to watch something new. They also both have enduring, apparently happy marriages, but so does Ewan McGregor and a bunch of other. *shrugs*

Oh, are they grey-blue? I thought they were more amber. Tom Hanks' are definitely amber/brown.

Never mind!

- and you have the same colour eyes as my son. I'm always checking his to see which colour they are at that moment. Could be blue, could be grey, could be a greenish-grey. ;)

It is a tortuous comparison because I can seriously not think of anyone who is like Paul in the US and it doesn't help the reader at all to mention Tom Hanks when trying to understand who Paul is, as it completely disregards his other roles in the industry for which Paul is equally known.

Exactly. That's basically my point, except you say it better. *G*

Imagine if Canadians had never heard of Tom, and their intro was that he was "The American Paul Gross". That would sound even more ridiculous. It's the same thing turned around.

I took the Tom Hanks thing to refer simply to their respective status: Paul is (highly arguably) the most famous and successful actor north of the border at present, as well as being one of its most versatile; but there the comparison ends really - it certainly wasn't referring to a physical similarity at all.

I realize it's not about physical resemblance, but people who don't know Paul who read this are going to assume resemblance, I think. I mostly posted the pics because I like posting pics, but I still think people will think visually at first read.

Paul is far edgier as an actor, has way more gravitas and charisma and takes on more interesting projects in my view -and I like Tom Hanks, don't get me wrong, but he hardly dings my bell and I am rarely entranced by him although I appreciate his work.

As much as I like Tom (and I really do), he's always Tom Hanks, even in his deepest character roles. I never forget that I'm watching Tom Hanks. Paul takes a role and wraps it around him until I forget about anything but the character. Geoffrey Tennant, case in point. I do wish that he'd take darker roles; Murder Most Likely was a screaming departure for him, and gorgeously done, and I wish he'd do something that gritty again. Tom McLaughlin is pretty dark, though. Having said that, Paul brings edginess even to roles where it probably wasn't in the character description. Benton Fraser, case in point OMG. Fraser has this deep, intense current running just under the surface, and okay, that's another meta!post entirely.

And Paul as Forrest Gump? I can't believe for a minute that Paul would take on that pile of steaming sacchariny crap. Aside from a few mis-steps, he appears to have a very finely-tuned crapometer in terms of his career.
Of course the other big difference between the two actors is this: Paul has actually done really good work post-1995.

I liked Forrest Gump until my kids overplayed it and I got sick of it. Also Road to Perdition and The Green Mile. But yeah, there's only a couple of Paul's films I refuse to see, and I think those were made for exposure and quite possibly to pay the rent.

I don't see so much stealth darkness with Tom. I don't know a whole lot about him, either, so my observation isn't exactly the Tom Hanks version of the Oracle of Delphi. He's got the Nice label pinned on really tight, though, and I bet he doesn't like it.

I've got S2 out on loan to a co-worker, and another friend has already seen S1 and 2. I've got S3 possibly coming my way on a recorded DVD, so yay, pimpage! Neither of my two friends are familiar in any way with fandom, either. S&A is so in a class by itself. *g*

*pictures Tom Hanks as Fraser* I somehow don't see the connection. Um?

Tom might make an acceptable Buddy French, though. It's the only role I can think of that even looks like something Tom would choose.

It's also the fact that the entire planet looks to Hollywood for the cream of the crop (and Tom Hanks is certainly one of the best). Unfortunately, the planet's missing out on Paul Gross and Callum Keith Rennie and holy shit, Don McKellar (who blows my mind with just how good he is), and that's just a tiny sampling in one country.

Never seen Rome, but OMFGRICKWARDEN!

I actually looked through a bunch of Tom Hanks sites when you mentioned eye-colour. His eyes are grey-blue, from what I see, with some green (one poster in a forum says she met him, and his eyes are definitely green).

Paul's eyes are on the storm-grey side of blue. Believe me, I've done the research. *g* If you want to look for Paul's eye colour, don't go looking at screen caps from Getting Married in Buffalo Jump. I've never read it anywhere, but I'd bet large amounts of money that he's wearing brown contacts. Maybe it's because his character is Ukranian? Still, wtf?. I was even dorky and no-life-ish to make an an entire post about it. Although, really, what impressed me most about this film was the musical presence of k.d. lang and the Reclines, because I'm first and foremost a music dork.

All my kids have clear, blue eyes like their dad, except

i_am_a_hannah, who has green like me mum. :) My own eyes are grey almost entirely.

It's obviously meant as a compliment ... For Paul or Tom is anyone's guess. But I was laughing out loud reading it. The picture of Paul writing love letters to Meg Ryan sprung to my mind and ... ::chuckles:: ... ::giggles:: ... See?

*shakes fists in the air*
YEAH!!!!!
Boy - I must be feeling a bit feisty and revolutionary today!

I also think *drags soapbox extension, velcros it to yours* that the US media is arrogant and obtuse enough to not only completely miss the fact that there are other places than Hollywood to make films/television/etc, but the idea that anyone would actually choose somewhere other than Hollywood is waay too much for them. Sure there are actors/directors/writers from other countries that are well-known here, but it's because they make movies here. Hugh Grant, Sean Connery, Vanessa Redgrave, John Cleese, y'know? But ask anyone who Mira Furlan is, and they'll be all, huh?. Mention Babylon 5 and they might get a clue (although SF/Fantasy is practically another country to most media people as well), or Lost, and they might get another one. But she's not going to be as popular as people who regularly make movies over here, even though she was one of the top stars in her own country. It's the same with Paul. Nobody can place him until you mention due South, and even then, you have to provide character descriptions. Seriously, I think either one of them could walk down any US street and nobody would recognize them. Although if they walked together they'd get a lot of looks because they're both completely gorgeous.

...and now for another episode of When Apples Met Oranges, starring Tom Hanks and Paul Gross.

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