The Funny Story Behind Why Tom Hanks Has Been Gifting The White House New Coffee Makers For Years
It’s hard being a celebrity in this day and age, as public scrutiny can be high. However, if you’re an actor like Tom Hanks, you’re still a beloved star and continue to make quality films. It probably won’t surprise fans to know Tom Hanks has just as big a heart as many of his characters. The Catch Me If You Can actor recently revealed a funny story that would certainly suggest that’s the case. Apparently, he has an interesting tradition, which has seen him gifting the White House coffee makers for a while.
Yes, you read that correctly. In true Mr. Rogers fashion, the Asteroid City actor has been partaking in that good deed every four years. You would probably never expect it, but Tom Hanks revealed to ETalk that he has been providing the White House Press Corps with coffee makers for over two decades, and there’s a specific reason for that:
There’s always somebody on duty in the White House, no matter who the president is, right? That was it. We were there visiting with George W. Bush when George W. Bush was president and there’s always someone there in case something happens and they had the saddest little old Mr. Coffee. It looked like it was already 27 years old. I said ‘This is your source of coffee?’ They said yeah. So we started supplying them with you know, maybe an updated, slightly you know might–the hot water might be a little hotter and they can go get the coffee themselves
This has to be the most dad thing ever, and that’s saying a lot for the man who’s been referred to as “America’s Dad.” So it totally tracks that the Elvis actor would be gifting coffee makers to the staff in the most important building in the country. I mean, it’s really the thought that counts. For staff to the Commander-In-Chief, there has to be a budget to get better coffee. However, the fact that Tom Hanks noticed it that one time and took it upon himself to always provide speaks volumes about the Sully actor’s character.
When people talk about the actor’s legacy, it’s hard to determine what will stand out 50 years down the road. Will it be his swoon worthy rom-com lines from Sleepless in Seattle? Or could it be his iconic sarcastic comebacks from his early career as washed up manager Jimmy Duggan in A League of Their Own? There’s also his later box office success A Man Called Otto to consider. Yet the Green Mile actor has his own opinions on his movie legacy, but the most realistic answer is that probably just about all of his films will go down as classics.
All of that aside, I hope people remember Tom Hanks for more than his Oscar-winning portrayal of Forrest Gump — who, by the way, I think would have also bought the White House coffee makers if necessary. The public should also acknowledge his acts of kindness. You can see Hanks describe his White House coffee tradition in the video below:
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♬ original sound – etalk
Of course, aside from ensuring that the White House has quality cups of joe available, Tom Hanks continues to work. His most recent cinematic outing is the 2024 movie release Here, which reunites him with Forrest Gump co-star Robin Wright and director Robert Zemeckis. He’s also working on the upcoming Toy Story 5, which opens in theaters in 2026. That aside, I’m hoping his slate includes another rom-com with Meg Ryan. Let’s hope that as booked and busy as he remains, he manages to keep his coffee tradition with the WH alive.
Check out Here in theaters now, and keep your eyes locked on the 2025 movie schedule, in case a Tom Hanks-led film lands there.
