The Worst Neighbor in the World, in theaters on February 1, stars Tom Hanks as a bitter and resentful man. On the occasion of the film’s release, AlloCiné met the well-known comedian.
Starring Tom Hanks, The Worst Neighbor in the World tells the story of Otto Anderson, an old grudge who has no reason to live since the death of his wife. As he is about to finish, his plans are interrupted by a young and energetic family that moves in next door.
Then he meets Marisol, gifted with a great sense of humor, and realizes that he has found a worthy opponent for him! As she pushes him to take a different look at life, an unlikely friendship forms between them, completely unsettling Otto’s attitudes.
Note that Otto Anderson’s character appeared in the world bestseller Old, Bored and Suicidal – Life According to Ove by Swedish writer Fredrik Backman. A huge success worldwide, the book was on the New York Times bestseller list for over ten months.
In 2015, it was brought to the screen in Sweden where the film became a real phenomenon: according to the Swedish Film Institute, it is the third most popular Swedish film of all time. It also received two Oscar nominations, including one for Best Foreign Language Film.
To embody this grumpy old character, an actor who wasn’t necessarily expected on this record: Tom Hanks. For the actor, it was a perfect story to transpose to the United States, an authentic view of the middle American suburbs.
“I was fascinated by the original film, which is of Swedish origin. My role is not the same as the original work, there are many other things that we miss in the United States.”said the artist into our microphone.
“If Otto’s character attracted me, it’s not because of his shyness; he’s not so much a grump as a determined man, inflexible in what he judges good or bad. And that’s also the way my way of thinking, in many ways. I think I’m like you: if I see an abandoned object in front of my building, I immediately ask myself: who had the idea to put this object here? What is it doing there? Why did it move? Who knew this was the place to put it? Why here in particular? there are continued the artist.
“We all feel this, it’s not that we’re angry, we’re just used to following the rules and when someone deviates from them, it upsets us.”the comedian explained.
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Tom Hanks
For the 66-year-old actor, every good citizen is used to respecting the rules, but Otto goes even further. “I found it very funny to play a man who takes this concept to the limit, who follows the rules completely”adds Tom Hanks.
According to the artist, the story explores how a person feels when he is part of a community and how healthy it is to be part of it. “Otto sees these new Mexican neighbors moving in next door and thinks this is the worst thing that can happen to him, this is the worst thing that can happen to the neighborhood.”the Oakland native pointed out.
Being open to these kinds of experiences allows you to live great stories, and when you’re lucky enough to be able to tell them, it’s great.
“But in the end, they will bring him a new lease of life, a lot of new perspectives in his personal life. Being open to these kinds of experiences allows you to live great stories and when you’re lucky enough to tell them, it’s It’s also about getting out of our comfort zone and exploring all aspects of life, because isn’t the experience of being alive already the most wonderful thing?concludes the actor.
Interview by Emmanuel Itier in Los Angeles