Tom Hanks' performance in 'Captain Phillips' is one of his best, according to director Paul Greengrass.
The Oscar-winning actor is tipped for another nomination at the Academy Awards for his portrayal of sea captain Richard Phillips in the real-life tale about the hijacking of an American ship by Somali pirates in 2009, and the film's director thinks Hanks was integral to its success.
He gushed: "He's a legend. In an era dominated by superheroes, he's a movie star whose career has been built on portraying ordinary men and that's a very bold choice. This is one of his great performances."
While the movie has received critical acclaim and Oscar buzz, Greengrass reveals filming on the high seas was a challenging experience.
He recalled: "It was incredibly arduous. Most of the crew would say it's the most physically arduous film they've ever made. They got battered around in the boats, 15 hours a day, day in, day out. That's intense."
However, the end result was worth the troubled shoot, the director concedes, and he is extremely proud of the nail-biting movie.
He added to Total Film magazine: "When you get to that final scene, which I think is quite powerful, you feel that you've lived it with [Phillips]. You're with him."
Tagged in Tom Hanks Paul Greengrass