Tom Hanks jokes about why he fits the bill to play Mr. Rogers

Tom Hanks, who has earned the title of Hollywood's perennial good guy, jokes about why he fits the bill to play Mr. Rogers as he attends the premiere of A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood at TIFF.

Toronto: After finding out his co-stars believe he was the perfect actor to portray Mr. Rogers, Tom Hanks has his own theory of why he believes it.

"I think it's because I was such a caring executioner in The Green Mile, and I killed just the right amount of Nazis in Saving Private Ryan," Hanks joked.

The two-time Oscar winner, who stars as Fred Rogers, in A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood spoke to the Associated Press about playing the beloved Rogers on the red carpet for the film's world premiere on September 9, at the Toronto Film Festival.

Rogers hosted the children's education program, Mr. Rogers Neighborhood from 1968 to 2001, and among other lessons, it helped inspire a world of kindness for its young audience.

But Hanks says that Rogers' mantra of kindness has been relegated these days to a buzzword that's not always clear.

READ | 'A Beautiful Day...' trailer: Hanks streams kindness in sceptical world

"I think what it means is if you give everybody a fair shake. If you understand that the person that is serving you, or pumping your gas, or trying to come out and fix your pipes might have had just as bad a day as you had. That's just kindness," Hanks said.

Rogers passed away in 2003.

So, given the state of the world, does it need another Mr. Rogers? Hanks thinks they're out there, but there's a caveat.

The film is based on the true story of a real-life friendship between Rogers and a journalist named Tom Junod. Matthew Rhys plays him in the film.

After doing the film, Rhys agrees that the world needs another Mr. Rogers.

"Absolutely. I think, you know, we all know there's great division in society and in many aspects, and sometimes it just takes someone to go, 'you know what? You don't just be nice to each other, you have to work on it, it's something people have to do to make an effort,'" Rhys said.

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood hits theaters November 22.

With inputs from APTN