Tom Hanks hosts show at home after COVID-19 diagnosis in March

Los Angeles, April 12 (IANS) Hollywood actor Tom Hanks returned to the small screen for the first time after he tested positive for the coronavirus in March. He said he and his wife are doing great.

The 63-year-old served as host for the first-ever "Saturday Night Live at Home" episode, reports people.com.



Hanks opened the show with a "Tiger King" reference, speaking to the camera from his Los Angeles home. "Hey all you cool cats and kittens," he said.

"It's me, your old pal. Don't be afraid, this shaved head was just for a movie. My hair is growing back very slowly," Hanks shared, referencing the Baz Luhrmann-directed film about Elvis Presley he was filming in Australia, where he was self-quarantining.

"Hey, it's good to be here, though it is also very weird to be here. Hosting Saturday Night Live from home. It is a strange time to try and be funny, but trying to be funny is SNLas whole thing. So we thought, what the heck? Let's give it a shot," Hanks said.



"But why me as host? Well, for one, I have been the celebrity canary of the coal mine for the coronavirus, and ever since being diagnosed, I have been more like America's dad than ever before since no one wants to be around me very long and I make people uncomfortable," he said.

His monologue was not one without a joke.

"Now I was diagnosed back in March with the coronavirus. I was first diagnosed down in Australia. Now the folks in Australia are fantastic in every way but they use Celsius instead of Fahrenheit when they take your temperature," he said.



"So, when they come in and they say, 'You're 36,' which seemed very bad to me. But turns out 36 is fine, turns out 38 is bad. So basically it's how Hollywood treats female actors."

Speaking about his quarantine attire as of late, Hanks said he had some help from his wife Rita Wilson. "But now my wife and I are doing fine, doing great. We're hunkered down like all of us should be. In fact, this suit, this is the first time I've worn anything other than sweatpants since March 11. My wife had to help me put it on," he said.

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