Featured Image Credit: NBC
Topics: Tom Hanks, Saturday Night Live, Donald Trump, Entertainment, Film and TV
Callum Jones
Topics: Tom Hanks, Saturday Night Live, Donald Trump, Entertainment, Film and TV
Tom Hanks has riled up Donald Trump supporters after his MAGA-wearing 'Doug' character made an appearance on the 50th anniversary special of Saturday Night Live.
On Sunday (February 16), celebrities from far and wide flocked to New York to celebrate SNL's huge birthday milestone.
From Meryl Streep and Martin Short, to Jack Nicholson and Aubrey Plaza, plenty of A-listers were in attendance to celebrate the sketch comedy turning 50.
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Hanks was also at the celebration, and the actor appeared in one skit that has caused a bit of controversy among supporters of President Trump.
The Forrest Gump actor donned a red 'Make America Great Again' cap as he played a man named Doug on a parody game show known as Black Jeopardy.
During the skit, Kenan Thompson, the host of the parody show, tried to shake Doug's hand, but he initially refused.
Doug did eventually perform the greeting gesture, before saying: "Don’t like that, whoa, whoa, whoa. Maybe I’ll start a show for you to come on and we’ll call it White Jeopardy."
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Many Trump supporters have taken to Twitter after the skit aired, and it's fair to say the vast majority are not impressed.
One post said: "Tom Hanks went on SNL dressed like a slob mocking millions of Trump supporters - portraying them as dumb, racist, rednecks.
"Keep it up libs. You'll never win another election again."
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While Link Lauren, a former advisor to Robert F. Kennedy Jr, wrote: "Tom Hanks just came out on SNL in a MAGA hat for a bit where he acted like he didn’t want to shake a black man’s hand.
"This show wonders why their ratings are in the gutter. Trump won the popular vote. This tired trope that MAGA is racist is disgusting. SNL is an unfunny show for snobbish liberal elites. The current Republican Party is a big tent coalition compromised of many former Democrats. Good riddance, SNL!"
A third Trump supporter penned: "No one in the audience laughs as Tom Hanks appears on SNL as a racist Trump supporter that refuses to shake hands with a black man," while another remarked: "This makes me mad. SNL ran a skit tonight w/Tom Hanks as a MAGA racist…he literally recoils when a black game show host reaches to shake hands."
UNILAD has reached out to Hanks for comment.