Tom Hanks took a break from promoting Toy Story 5 to attend a special event for President Obama. The actor, who voices Woody in the iconic movie series, shocked MS Now anchors by dissing them during a live interview. Keep reading for all the details.
Tom Hanks Joins Star-Studded Obama Celebration
Tom Hanks and the cast of Toy Story have been making the talk show rounds. The popular franchise is back in theaters 31 years after its debut. Toy Story 5 follows the toys as they grapple with technology taking over kids’ playtime. It hits theaters on Friday, June 19. Tom Hanks took a break from promoting the flick to attend an event in Chicago honoring former President Obama.
Movie stars and musicians flocked to Chicago, Illinois, on Thursday, June 18, for the long-awaited opening of the Obama Presidential Center. Bruce Springsteen, Stevie Wonder, and U2 were among the performers. Christina Aguilera, John Legend, Jennifer Hudson, and Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder also took the stage.
Tom Hanks was among the celebrities in attendance at the star-studded event. Others included Oprah Winfrey, Steven Spielberg, and former Presidents Bush, Clinton, and Biden. It was a beautiful event, but Tom Hanks’ surprising diss of MS Now made headline news.
MS NOW Anchors Shocked By Actor’s Diss Live On Air
Tom Hanks is beloved by an entire generation. The two-time Oscar winner had high praise for the opening of the Obama Presidential Center. But during an interview with MS Now, he dissed the network while live on the air. MS Now, formerly known as MSNBC, made huge changes after splitting from NBC in 2025. The changes affected the network’s ratings, which Tom Hanks happily called out during a live interview.
![Actor Tom Hanks [Today Show | YouTube]](https://b4149563.smushcdn.com/4149563/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Tom-Hanks-Interview-With-Savannah-Guthrie.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1)
MS Now’s Jacob Soboroff pulled the actor away from a group of celebrities for an interview. “OK, what can I do for the 800 people watching MS NOW?” he said, making a joke about the network’s low ratings. Jacob Soboroff ignored the diss and reminded Tom Hanks that they were live on the air.
“All right, add a zero to it if you need to,” Tom Hanks added about increasing the ratings. Jacob Soboroff retorted, I would say millions now that you’re on our air,” before continuing the interview. Tom Hanks gave a glowing review of the Obama Presidential Center.
Tom Hanks roasts MS NOW’s viewership during a live interview at the Obama presidential center opening, taking aim at the outlet’s audience numbers in a moment that caught hosts off guard. pic.twitter.com/8rOuaxpTO8
— Fox News Flash (@FoxNews_Flash) June 19, 2026
While wrapping up the interview, Jacob Soboroff thanked him for “adding the zero to our ratings today.” The actor responded, “I gotta tell ya, I can hear the clicks happening before my very eyes.” The live footage went back to the studio. Katy Tur seemed in disbelief at the actor’s comments about the ratings.
“All right, thanks, Tom. Appreciate that. He has been very supportive of the press, at least in the past, getting a new coffee machine for the White House correspondents,” Katy Tur said. Tom Hanks is known for his sense of humor. He was likely only teasing about the network’s ratings. MS Now still trailed behind Fox News in the ratings battle.
Jennifer Havener grew up in a small town in Upstate New York. She earned her B.A in Writing & Literature from Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado. She always knew watching reality TV shows and soap operas, particularly ‘Days of Our Lives’, would come in handy someday. When she’s not writing, she’s playing with her dogs, Lola and Ruger
