Hollywood star Tom Hanks has reflected on the profound uncertainty faced by those living through the Second World War, describing how people were “held in stasis for an undefined amount of time”.
His comments come as he takes on the role of narrator for a new documentary series about the conflict.
Titled WWII With Tom Hanks, the 20-episode programme is billed as an “epic multi-part exploration” and a “definitive retelling” of the war.
It promises to feature newly uncovered archival material and insights from leading historians, debuting on Sky History in the UK and other channels globally.
In a new clip, Hanks, 69, highlighted how the war became “part and parcel to daily life”.
He noted the ease with which we forget that those experiencing the major global event had no foresight into its eventual duration.
He said they “talked about it from a life that was held in stasis for an undefined amount of time”.
He added: “We can now all look back and say, of course, we know when the war began.
“We know when it ended. If you were not there, if you were actually alive during those years, from 1939 and really, from 1936 until 1946 they had no idea when the war was going to end.
“In fact, many of them just assumed it would go on for the next 10 or 15 years, which was a real possibility.”
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Hanks described how war permeated everyone’s everyday lives, adding: “The war – those years that my dad and my teacher and my dad’s friends and my friends’ dads and parents talked about was part and parcel to daily life.
“There were television shows, there were documentaries, there were movies, there was music that was still there.
“It was all about the war. Everybody you saw on TV that was an established performer had a history and a participation during those years.
“And sometimes it was just about being alive – being an eight-year-old kid when the war was going on.
“Certainly for others, it was about being on the front or in the services, in uniform.”
Hanks said that “during my formative years, every single adult in my life would make references to two words: The War”.
He added: “The lasting effects of WWII on the world and my own family were not lost on me. I am thrilled to partner with Sky History/The History Channel to produce this all-encompassing series in its entirety.”
WWII With Tom Hanks will premiere on Sky History on May 26.
