Is Tom Hanks’ ‘1883’ Character Based on a Real Person?
Hanks showing up in '1883' was a welcome surprise, but was his character based on a real historical figure?
There’s no denying that Taylor Sheridan‘s 1883 is something of a Western epic. The limited series offers an honest portrayal of the harshness of the American West and expands upon an era of US history that we can’t fully seem to get past. As the Dutton family – led by Tim McGraw and Faith Hill‘s James and Margaret Dutton – make their way northwestward, they encounter plenty of historical figures. But none were more exciting than the surprise appearance by none other than Academy Award-winner Tom Hanks, who shows up in a Civil War flashback in the second episode, “Behind Us, a Cliff.”
Although Sheridan is known for drawing in big-name actors for meaty roles, the likes of which include Kevin Costner, Sam Elliott, Billy Bob Thornton, Harrison Ford, Helen Mirren, and soon-to-be Matthew McConaughey, the surprise appearance from Tom Hanks was exactly that, a surprise. Though he only appeared in a single scene, his impact on the miniseries remains, and his actions stick with McGraw’s James Dutton throughout their treacherous journey. Nevertheless, the question remains, does Hanks play a real-life historical figure, or was his appearance just shoe-horned in for the sake of the Hanks name?
Who Does Tom Hanks Play in ‘1883’?
In the episode, McGraw’s character has a flashback to his time as a soldier during the American Civil War. As the bloodiest era in United States history, this time period has often been a point of reference for the Western genre. In fact, most Westerns take place in the immediate years following the Civil War, or feature characters haunted by their actions during this dark period. 1883 is no different, and we soon learn that James Dutton fought in the conflict, only on the side of the Confederacy. James was held in a Union prison for a considerable amount of time (three years) before the war ended, and though we don’t see much of that, we do get a glimpse of the defeat that took him there.
James’ flashback to the aftermath of the Battle of Antietam saw the Dutton patriarch bruised and bloodied after a significant loss to the Union army. But rather than berate or belittle his defeated foe, Hanks’ General George Meade reassures the man that he understands the horrors he feels. Offering a steady hand on his weeping shoulder, Meade deals kindly with his opponent, taking pity on a man whose shoes he could have easily been in himself. Although Hanks only utters a few words, his performance is unparalleled, and the amount of compassion and empathy he shares with McGraw on screen is one of the rawest portrayals of a military leader in the history of television. Really, it’s that good.
General George Meade Was a Civil War Legend
Yes, it’s true that Tom Hanks’ character was in fact a real, historical figure. Previously, the Civil War hero had been played by Rory Calhoun in the 1982 miniseries The Blue and the Gray, and Richard Anderson in Ronald F. Maxwell‘s 1993 epic Gettysburg. In real life, George Meade did fight (and win) at the Battle of Antietam, where he was also injured, though he wasn’t promoted to Major General until some time afterward. Before that, he had been previously injured in the Battle of Glendale, though he recovered enough to continue on, fighting in a number of battles before the one we see the results of in 1883. He is most well-known for his victory against General Robert E. Lee at the Battle of Gettysburg.
Despite his calm and collected demeanor in 1883, the real-life Meade was actually a bit short-tempered. Nicknamed “The Old Snapping Turtle,” Meade was notorious for his uncontrollable attitude, losing his temper on more than one occasion. Union Army Lt. Col. Horace Porter, who would later serve as the personal secretary to President Ulysses S. Grant, once wrote that Meade “possessed of an excitable temper which under irritating circumstances became almost ungovernable.” While Tom Hanks played an incredibly convincing character in his one 1883
Taylor Sheridan Loves to Include Real Historical Figures in His Shows
Yes, it’s true that Tom Hanks’ character was in fact a real, historical figure. Previously, the Civil War hero had been played by Rory Calhoun in the 1982 miniseries The Blue and the Gray, and Richard Anderson in Ronald F. Maxwell‘s 1993 epic Gettysburg. In real life, George Meade did fight (and win) at the Battle of Antietam, where he was also injured, though he wasn’t promoted to Major General until some time afterward. Before that, he had been previously injured in the Battle of Glendale, though he recovered enough to continue on, fighting in a number of battles before the one we see the results of in 1883. He is most well-known for his victory against General Robert E. Lee at the Battle of Gettysburg.
Despite his calm and collected demeanor in 1883, the real-life Meade was actually a bit short-tempered. Nicknamed “The Old Snapping Turtle,” Meade was notorious for his uncontrollable attitude, losing his temper on more than one occasion. Union Army Lt. Col. Horace Porter, who would later serve as the personal secretary to President Ulysses S. Grant, once wrote that Meade “possessed of an excitable temper which under irritating circumstances became almost ungovernable.” While Tom Hanks played an incredibly convincing character in his one 1883 scene, that character doesn’t exactly sound too much like the real McCoy, err, Meade.
Taylor Sheridan Loves to Include Real Historical Figures in His Shows
With how Sheridan’s prequel series ended, there’s no chance a traditional sequel to 1883 will happen. With the success of the second prequel series 1923 and the upcoming Yellowstone spin-offs in development, Sheridan and company are focused on other stories right now. At one point, an 1883 spin-off titled 1883: The Bass Reeves Story was considered, but after many name changes, and eventually dropping the 1883 brand altogether, Sheridan has retooled it into an anthology series titled Lawman: Bass Reeves.
Considering Sheridan’s love of weaving American history into his material, it seems that Lawman will be his best chance to do so. The series, meant to be an anthology show with a rotating cast of historical lawmen, will allow him to do exactly what he did with Tom Hanks’ George Meade: add more historical tidbits to his Western epics. Whether they’ll be terribly historically accurate or just fun nods that only amateur historians may know has yet to be seen, but so far we have yet to be disappointed, even if we didn’t really get to see the Old Snapping Turtle in action.
1883 is available for streaming exclusively on Paramount+.
