Longtime collaborators Tom Hanks and Peter Scolari wowed audiences in the 1980s sitcom “Bosom Buddies” with their improvisational comedy skills.
According to Hanks, who appeared on Tuesday’s episode of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” and fondly remembered “screwing around” with his late co-star, the actors’ tendency to go off-script wasn’t always appreciated by the production team.
“We had to stay on set and say every line over and over and over again,” Hanks explained to Kimmel. “So we started… monkeying around with the script and playing around with props and whatnot, and the directors were up in a booth.”
“On the studio talkback, we’d always hear, ‘Hey, guys? … ‘Are you going to say something like that?’ ‘We could!’ ‘But it’s not in the script,’ she says. ‘Yeah, but… if it works, it works, doesn’t it?’ … ‘Could you please give us a moment?’ ‘Sure, sure. ‘All right, go ahead.’ Then we’d think of something else. And then they’d return and say, ‘Wait, wait, wait.’ We’ve just figured out what you’re going to do. ‘Are you going to do it as well?’ ‘We could!'”
The Oscar winner spent nearly half of his Kimmel interview reminiscing about his friendship with Scolari, who died last month at the age of 66 after a two-year battle with cancer.
In addition to “Bosom Buddies,” Scolari appeared in Hanks’ films “That Thing You Do!” (1996) and “The Polar Express” (2004).
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“May God bless him. “I’ll miss him every day,” Hanks said of his co-star on the set. “He had the body of a gymnast — and I mean like a Cirque du Soleil gymnast.” He could do the iron triangle and other tricks. He used to be a juggler.
“I’m not sure how many people truly change your life when you meet them. But then he and I met, picked up the scripts, and started screwing around, and I thought to myself, ‘Oh, this is it.’ That’s how it works. ‘It’s like putting a hand inside a glove.'”
Kimmel then played a clip from a 1982 episode of “Bosom Buddies” in which Hanks and Scolari’s characters go on a weekend retreat to a secluded cabin in the woods.
Hanks introduced the video as an example of his “ease and affection” for Scolari, to whom he was “molecularly connected.” After finishing the tape, the “Finch” star fought back tears as he paid his final respects to his dear friend.
“Peter has a beautiful family,” Hanks said. “Grace, his wife.” He has wonderful children, and we lost him to the Emperor of All Maladies, so thank you for allowing us to show that clip. Thank you very much.”
