Photo: Steven M. Falk/Daily News
Tom Hanks considers Philadelphia a good-luck charm, because starring in the movie by the same name earned him his first Oscar. The superstar was in town, briefly, last night, at the National Constitution Center, for a private screening of "John Adams," the HBO miniseries on which he was executive producer.
Hanks spent four months living on Rittenhouse Square with wife, Rita Wilson, and their children, "before there was Starbucks," he says. He told us he's never annoyed by fans shouting, "Run, Forrest, run," or any other lines from his work, only when people accuse him of "being in movies I wasn't in." But even then he seems to keep his cool. "I just say, 'I'm sorry you didn't like it.' "
Paul Giamatti plays John Adams in the picture, based on David McCullough's book, which Giamatti said was helpful in preparing for his role. He spent time in town in 2005 shooting M. Night Shyamalan's "Lady in the Water," and set the record straight about our report that he rocked out to Iron Maiden on the iPod of a passer-by who said hello to the actor. "That wasn't me," Giamatti said, noting that he had read the report.
We apologized for the error, but said the moral of the story was that it's always wise to follow this column when you're in town. Giamatti said he was mostly working while here, but he enjoyed checking out the medical oddities and freaky stuff at the Mutter Museum (19 S. 22nd).
Comcast honcho Brian Roberts stayed quiet, typing away on a cell phone as guests filed into the private screening. Among invitees were Philadelphia Sunday Sun publisher Jerry Mondesire and the Big Talker 1210 AM host Michael Smerconish and wife, Lavinia, a real-estate agent.
CBS 3's Pat Ciarrocchi who covered the red carpet arrivals, made certain to get a baseball signed by Hanks and Giamatti for her husband, David Fineman, a baseball freak, she said. What's their baseball connection? Giamatti's late father was former MLB commissioner A. Bartlett Giamatti, and Hanks starred in "A League of Their Own." Several months back, Ciarrocchi got "The Natural" star Robert Redford to sign a baseball while interviewing him when he was in town. Ciarrocchi bought the ball at the Constitution Center's gift shop for $9.95. The center is hosting the "Baseball as America" exhibit through May 11. The "John Adams" series begins at 8 p.m. Sunday. We haven't seen it; Daily News TV writer Ellen Gray will weigh in Friday.
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