09/08/2025
Tom Hanks stood under the studio lights on "Jimmy Kimmel Live," tears forming in his eyes as he spoke softly about Peter Scolari. “He was one of the finest actors I ever worked with,” Hanks said, his voice cracking with emotion. It was not just grief. It was the weight of over forty years of friendship, of laughter shared backstage, of encouragement given during the quietest moments of their lives. In that unscripted tribute, Hanks showed the world that his connection with Scolari had never been about screen time. It had always been about heart.
Their story began in 1980 on the set of the sitcom "Bosom Buddies." Tom Hanks and Peter Scolari were cast as two men disguising themselves as women to live in an all-female apartment building. The show relied on absurd humor, but what truly made it work was their electric chemistry. Off-camera, they developed an immediate bond. Scolari, slightly older and more experienced, took Hanks under his wing. Hanks, full of energy and improvisational wit, brought a sense of wild fun. They balanced each other like seasoned performers, even though it was the beginning of both their careers.
When the show ended after two seasons, Hanks’s career took off. He transitioned into film and soon became one of the most beloved actors in Hollywood, starring in "Splash," "Big," and "Forrest Gump." Scolari, meanwhile, carved out a successful career on television with standout roles in "Newhart," "Honey, I Shrunk the Kids: The TV Show," and later in "Girls," for which he eventually won an Emmy. But no matter how far apart their professional lives took them, Hanks and Scolari never let go of their connection.
They called each other during life’s big moments, weddings, births, career highs, but also during its loneliest hours. When Scolari quietly battled bipolar disorder, Hanks never made him feel like he had to pretend. He offered him support without pity, always treating him with the same warmth and respect that had defined their early days.
Scolari once revealed that Hanks used to send him handwritten letters filled with inside jokes and small reminders of their time on "Bosom Buddies." He kept them in a drawer, pulling them out on hard days. One note simply read, “Still buddies, always.” That piece of paper, weathered from years of folding, meant more to Scolari than any trophy ever could.
Hanks also showed his loyalty in moments unseen by the public. When Scolari struggled to find steady work in the late 1990s, Hanks helped him get roles behind the scenes, connecting him with producers and directors. He never announced his help, never sought credit. He just picked up the phone and did what a friend does.
In 2013, when Scolari won his Emmy for "Girls," Hanks sent him a bouquet with a card that read, “Finally the world knows what I always have.” Scolari later said that note brought him to tears. For him, Hanks was not a superstar. He was the guy who sat beside him in a dressing room decades ago, both of them nervously reading their scripts, trying to figure out how to make it in the business.
When Scolari was diagnosed with cancer, he told only a few close friends. Hanks was one of them. He kept in touch, offering his support quietly, as always. After Scolari passed in October 2021, Hanks did not rush to post a tribute. He waited until he could honor him in a way that felt real. On live television, in front of millions, he spoke with tenderness and sorrow, visibly shaken.
That moment was not for the cameras. It was for Peter. For the late-night calls, the old scripts, the laughter that never faded. For the friend who walked beside him before the world knew his name.
Some friendships do not need spotlights. They only need time, trust, and the quiet promise to never let go
![Zsa Zsa Gábor, born Sári Gábor (Budapest [Hungary], February 6, 1917 - Ronald Reagan, UCLA Medical Center, Los Angeles [...](https://img3.medioq.com/697/390/823281496973903.jpg)
