It seems that, as hard as members of previous generations would have us believe, Suffering from impostor syndrome is not just a thing for millennials and Zetas; And it is that this psychological phenomenon, which makes the person who suffers it believe that they are not capable or prepared enough to perform a task despite the evidence to the contrary, can appear even in the most unexpected places.
The effect of a legend
In the case at hand, the place was the filming set for ‘Road to Perdition’, and the protagonist was none other than Tom Hanks; an interpreter who, in addition to having an impeccable professional career, at that time, had already been nominated for an Oscar five times to emerge victorious in two of them.
But his acting accomplishments didn’t stop Hanks from having an episode of impostor syndrome when he was forced to share the scene with Paul Newman himself in the Sam Mendes movie. This is how he told the tense experience in the podcast Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard.
“I did a movie with Mr. Paul Newman. It took me a while to get used to the idea: I’m in a movie with Paul Newman. He walked in and turned out to be the least demanding, easiest guy you’ve ever come across. He did the scene and there was a moment of silence. Then he looked at all of us and said, ‘The first day you’re too self-conscious, right?’ Everybody was freed from any kind of honor bondage we were feeling. That was the guy.” .
It’s understandable that a legend like Newman, with more than five decades of stardom behind him, would have that effect not only on Hanks, but on his teammates Daniel Craig and Jude Law. However, the tables and professionalism not only help to impose respect, but to be aware of it and knowing how to acclimatize the set to make the collaboration as pleasant as possible.
Of course, in addition to the bad time and the accumulated tension, Tom Hanks took a Great advice which he continues to practice today.
“You know what I learned from Paul Newman that I’ve continued to use to this day? The first thing you do in the makeup trailer: put your face in a bucket of ice water.”
Living and learning.