Tom Hanks nearly died while filming ‘Cast Away’: “It was eating its way through my leg”
The actor was hospitalized for a severe infection that halted production for three weeks.
Tom Hanks has tackled a wide range of roles throughout his career, but few were as physically and emotionally demanding as his performance in 'Cast Away’ (2000). While filming on the remote island of Monuriki in Fiji, Hanks suffered a seemingly minor leg injury that quickly escalated into a life-threatening infection.
In a 2009 interview with BBC Radio 1, Hanks revealed:
“I was there for three days with something that, believe it or not, almost killed me. I got an infection from a cut and it was eating its way through my leg. I didn’t know it—I just thought I had a sore. I went to the doctor who took one look and said, ‘We have to get this infection out of you before it poisons your blood and you die’”.
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Production halted and recovery began
The infection was so severe that filming had to be shut down for three weeks while Hanks recovered in the hospital. The actor later described the ordeal as one of the most intense experiences of his career, both physically and mentally.
Psychological toll: Wilson became real
Beyond the physical strain, Hanks admitted that the isolation and intensity of the role began to affect his mental state. He started having imaginary conversations with Wilson, the volleyball companion his character befriends:
“When Wilson was born, I had dialogue with him. And I heard his dialogue in my head. I did go crazy, because I never had a day off”.
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