Tom Hanks on 'A League of Their Own's Madonna Casting and Why People Love Baseball (Flashback)

etonline.com:

Tom Hanks signed up for was that Penny Marshall’s historical comedy provided a rare opportunity to play against type. But he wasn’t the only entertainer stepping out of their wheelhouse for the movie’s fictional portrayal of the real-life All-American Girls Professional Baseball League amid the backdrop of WWII.While chatting with ET in the lead up to the film’s premiere, the star reflected on the media frenzy surrounding the production once Madonna was added to the roster. “No one knew what to expect from the world's most recognizable, popular cultural icon,” Hanks told ET in 1992.

In reference to the Queen of Pop’s near-mythical level of fame, he joked that everyone on set wondered if Madonna would “show up in a helicopter and descend into left field.”But there was no grand aerial entrance befitting one of her Blonde Ambition World Tour concerts.

As Hanks remembered, Madonna “just kind of showed up” in an anticlimactic fashion. “She had a distinct personality and that's kind of interesting to get used to after a while,” Hanks recalled.

When asked to expand on “distinct personality,” he added, “one who has seen an awful lot” and “who has been through a substantial amount.” “I did end up liking her.