LOS ANGELES _ Bringing the rapidly spreading global pandemic home to Hollywood in a dramatic way, Tom Hanks and his wife Rita Wilson announced Wednesday that they have tested positive for the coronavirus.
In a statement relayed through their representative, Hanks said the two contracted the illness in Australia, where the actor is currently filming Baz Luhrmann's untitled Elvis Presley biopic, in which Hanks is playing Presley's manager, Colonel Tom Parker.
"Hello, folks," Hanks writes in the statement. "Rita and I are down here in Australia. We felt a bit tired, like we had colds, and some body aches. Rita had some chills that came and went. Slight fevers too. To play things right, as is needed in the world right now, we were tested for the Coronavirus, and were found to be positive.
"Well, now. What to do next? The Medical Officials have protocols that must be followed. We Hanks' will be tested observed, and isolated for as long as public health and safety requires. Not much more to it than a one-day-at-a-time approach, no? We'll keep the world posted and updated. Take care of yourselves!"
Shortly after releasing the statement, Hanks tweeted an image of a surgical glove in a garbage can.
It is unclear how the production on the Presley film, which is being produced by Warner Bros., could be impacted. The film is currently slated to be released in October 2021.
