Imagine a version of the movie Big where the 12-year-old boy trapped in a man's body isn't the lovable, goofy Tom Hanks. Instead, it’s Robert De Niro.
He was actually cast. No joke.
Elizabeth Perkins, who played the love interest Susan, once described those early rehearsals with De Niro as "moody" and "dark." It felt more like a horror movie or a psychological thriller than a whimsical comedy. Honestly, looking back at De Niro’s 1980s filmography—think Taxi Driver or The Untouchables—seeing him wander around a toy store might have felt less like "childlike wonder" and more like "potential restraining order."
Luckily for us, scheduling conflicts got in the way. The role eventually landed back in the hands of Tom Hanks in Big, and the rest is basically cinema history.
How Tom Hanks Actually Learned to Be Twelve
You've probably seen the movie a dozen times, but it’s easy to forget how much work went into making that performance believable. It wasn't just Hanks being "silly."
Director Penny Marshall had a very specific trick up her sleeve.
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She had David Moscow—the child actor playing the young version of Josh Baskin—act out every single one of Hanks' scenes first. Hanks would stand there, watching this 12-year-old kid move, react, and fidget. He studied Moscow’s body language like a scientist. He didn't want to play a "caricature" of a kid; he wanted to be that specific kid.
Take the baby corn scene at the corporate party. That wasn't in the script. On the day of filming, Hanks just decided to eat the corn like he was devouring a full-sized cob. It’s one of the most human moments in the film because it’s exactly the kind of logic a pre-teen would use when faced with fancy hors d'oeuvres.
Then there’s the "Shimmy Shimmy Cocoa Pop" rap. That wasn't a Hollywood writer’s creation. Hanks actually learned that rhyme from his own son at home and brought it to the set to prove to the character Billy that he was still the same guy inside.
The Piano Scene: No Stunt Doubles Required
The giant floor piano at FAO Schwarz is easily the most iconic image from the film. Most people assume there was some movie magic involved, but it’s actually more impressive than that.
The original piano at the real FAO Schwarz was only about six feet long. It was too small for two grown men to dance on. So, the production team commissioned a custom 16-foot version with three octaves.
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Hanks and Robert Loggia (who played the toy company owner, Mr. MacMillan) were determined to do the scene themselves. The studio actually hired professional dance doubles just in case the actors tripped over their own feet, but they weren't needed.
Hanks and Loggia practiced on cardboard cutouts of the keys at home until they could play "Heart and Soul" and "Chopsticks" perfectly. When you watch the movie, you’re seeing the real actors from head to toe, no editing tricks, hitting every single note with their feet.
Why This Role Changed Everything for Hanks
Before 1988, Tom Hanks was mostly known as the "funny guy" from Splash or Bachelor Party. He was a comedy star, sure, but nobody was talking about him in the same breath as the "serious" actors of the era.
Big changed that.
The film grossed over $151 million—a massive number back then, especially considering the $18 million budget. But more importantly, it earned Hanks his first-ever Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. He lost to Dustin Hoffman in Rain Man, but the nomination served as a massive signal to Hollywood: this guy has range.
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It was the bridge between the "slapstick Tom" of the early 80s and the "prestige Tom" who would go on to win back-to-back Oscars for Philadelphia and Forrest Gump just a few years later.
The Bittersweet Truth About the Ending
Most 80s movies ended with a perfect "happily ever after." Big didn't.
It’s actually kinda heartbreaking. Josh chooses to go back to being a kid, leaving Susan behind. There’s a version of the script where Susan wishes on the Zoltar machine to become a child so they can be together, but Penny Marshall wisely cut it.
The movie is really about the loss of innocence. It reminds us that being an adult is mostly just a lot of meetings, bills, and forgetting how to play. By the time the credits roll, you’re happy for Josh, but you feel the weight of what he’s leaving behind.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Creators
If you're looking to capture some of that Tom Hanks in Big energy in your own life or work, here are a few things to keep in mind:
- Observe Before You Execute: Just as Hanks watched David Moscow to find the character, success in any field—be it acting or business—comes from deep observation of those who are already doing it naturally.
- Embrace the "Why": In the movie, Josh succeeds at MacMillan Toys because he asks the simplest question: "What’s fun about this?" If a product or project doesn't have a clear "why," it's probably going to fail.
- Don't Over-Rehearse the Magic: Many of the best moments, like the baby corn or the specific way Josh spits out the caviar, were improvisations. Preparation gets you to the set; intuition makes the scene.
- Visit the History: If you're in New York, you can still visit the St. James Hotel where Josh stayed (though it's a bit nicer now than the "sleazy" version in the film). While the original FAO Schwarz location on 5th Avenue closed, the spirit of the giant piano lives on in various toy stores and museums globally.
The legacy of the film isn't just the piano or the Zoltar machine. It's the reminder that the most "adult" thing you can do is sometimes just admit that you'd rather be playing with a paddleball.