Tom Hanks recently starred as legendary children's entertainer Mister Rogers in the much-anticipated biopic, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, and just days before its release, the actor, 63, was stunned to discover they are actually related.
If you haven't seen it yet, this is the official trailer for A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood:After the incredible coincidence was revealed to Hanks by a reporter from Access Hollywood, he said: "No, impossible'. No, you're pulling our leg."
"It all just comes together you see," Hanks said, accepting that they were indeed related. He then joked to the reporter that she should try and discover if Johnny Depp was also related to Fred Rogers.
Prior to his death in 2002, Fred Rogers hosted Mr. Roger's Neighborhood from 1968 to 2001.
However, Hanks was not the only person delighted by the unlikely relation. So too was Rogers' widow Joanne.
To see the incredible moment Hanks was told he was related to Rogers, check out the video below:She told Access Hollywood: "That is just wonderful! Now that is amazing, and Fred would have loved it. He loved family tree stuff."
Susan Kelechi Watson, who plays Joanne in the movie, was equally delighted by the news. She told Access Hollywood, "Are you serious? It's in the blood!"
A PBS staple, Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood ran for 31 seasons.
The cast is pictured below at the movie's premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in September:
Hanks said that his decision to play the legendary entertainer was a "no brainer".
"When you put on that sweater, those shoes, and kind of like Batman putting on his cape and cowl," Hanks said. "You are definitely no longer yourself."
A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood is set to be released on November 22 in the US.
