NEW YORK (AP) – Bruce Springsteen and Tom Hanks paid tribute Friday night to the late director Jonathan Demme, the man who brought them together on his film “Philadelphia,” which won each of them Oscars.
“God bless Jonathan Demme, we just lost him,” Hanks told the crowd attending an event that was part of the Tribeca Film Festival’s Storyteller series. Demme, the Oscar-winning director of “Silence of the Lambs,” died of cancer on Wednesday. Springsteen, who won an Oscar for best original song for the film, called Demme “inspirational.”
Hanks, who won the best actor Academy Award for the 1993 film, played the role of fan during the hour-long session and questioned Springsteen about his life and early career. The actor also frequently engaged the crowd to finish the words to Springsteen hits such as “Rosalita” and “Growin’ Up.”
Springsteen entered to the loud deep chant of “Bruuuuuce,” so common at the music star’s concerts. “Man, I can’t believe they’re booing you Bruce,” Hanks joked.
Much of the conversation was based on stories Springsteen told in his recent memoir, “Born to Run.” He discussed the tough times at the start of his career when he was broke and playing gigs wherever he could. He and his bandmates never paid taxes and avoided bills for years so when they hit it big, they spent years paying off debts and attorney fees.