Tom Hanks always arrives at the Oscars "as late as possible".
‘The Post’ star is a veteran of the Academy Awards, having won two golden statuettes and been nominated three other times for Best Actor, and over the course of his lengthy career he’s picked up a number of tips to make the lengthy ceremony as comfortable and fun as possible.
When asked what his tips are for Oscars newcomers, he told Time Out London magazine: "Take a protein bar in your pocket, show up as late as possible and chat with everybody. The best part is talking with people you don’t know."
The 61-year-old actor may be a Hollywood veteran, but even he’s been star-struck by fellow attendees at the Academy Awards.
Asked if he’s ever got a bout of nerves when meeting an acting peer at the Oscars, he said: "My Lord, yes. The first time I went to the Academy Awards [in 1987], I was sitting next to Bette Davis That was a ‘pinch-me’ moment."
A clip of Tom at the Golden Globes went viral when he was seen delivering martinis to his tablemates, including director Steven Spielberg and his wife Kate Capshaw, and the actor admitted he was feeling the pressure when he was precariously balancing a number of glasses on his walk back from the bar.
Tom – who is married to Rita Wilson – said: "Let me say it right now, the bar was far away. I had to say to somebody with a badge, ‘Where is the goddamn bar?’
"I ordered three martinis and then thought, ‘How am I going to get these back?’ Luckily the dessert table came through with a plate with a napkin on it. It felt like I was balancing nitroglycerin."