Award-winning actor Tom Hanks said Captain Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger is a hero, the character he played on the new movie directed by Clint Eastwood.
The 60-year-old highly acclaimed actor who's well-known for his character "Forrest Gump," among many others, told CNN on Tuesday night during the premier of his newest film "Sully" that he thinks the American aviation captain was heroic for willingly taking on his job as a pilot.
Hanks believed the story of Captain Sully restores faith especially with a lot of cynicism going on right now.
Eastwood also revealed that he felt motivated to bring this story forward because of its happy ending.
Sullenberger made the headlines seven years ago when he diverted passenger aircraft US Airways Flight 1549 to an emergency water landing in the Hudson River after hitting a flock of geese shortly after takeoff. All the 159 passengers survived and the incident became known as "The Miracle On The Hudson" while the airline captain was hailed as a hero.
Yet what happened shortly after the crash landing made it difficult for Sullenberger to consider himself as such. The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transport Safety Board immediately began an inquiry into what transpired and whether or not the widely held hero really did the right thing. This was the angle Eastwood brought to light in the film.
Several of the plane survivors from the 2009 crash landing who spoke with NBC News shared that the near-death experience changed their lives for good and that the encounter forged a lifelong bond for some of them. They're also eager to watch the film released on theaters Friday night.
Meanwhile, those who've seen the screening of the movie Wednesday approved of Hanks' portrayal of the hero pilot.
Along with favorable reviews, Deadline reported that "Sully" is poised to land a box office hit of around $12 million as soon as it hits nationwide theaters after coming out strong from Warner Bros. and Village Roadshow pre-screenings.
