Being Mr Rogers

Tom Hanks is generally recognised as the nicest man in Hollywood, if not the entire planet. Now he’s starring in A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, playing another public figure whose reputation is just as sterling – Fred Rogers, the late host of the award-winning and immensely popular children’s TV series, Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. Hanks’s winning performance (nominated for a Golden Globe Best Actor award) as the beloved TV host has earned rave reviews and is likely to earn him a sixth Oscar nomination and possibly his third trophy. Assessing his screen alter ego, Hanks believes that kindness was the hallmark of Rogers and his legacy.
    
‘He had the three secrets to happiness,’ said Hanks. ‘Be kind, be kind and be kind. I think “kindness” becomes a buzz word. It ends up being diminished by the fact of what it means. But honestly, if you give everybody a fair shake, if you understand that the person that is serving you or filling up your gas might have had just ...