Tom Hanks played Elvis Presley's manager Colonel Tom Parker in 2022 Baz Luhrmann's biopic Elvis, and his portrayal of "The Colonel" caused almost as much controversy as the real-life figure did when the King of Rock and Roll was still alive. The portrayal of Parker in Elvis caused quite a stir when the film was released, both because of Hank's interpretation of the character and the relationship between Elvis and Colonel Tom in Baz Luhrmann's story. The real manager of Elvis Presley was known for some appalling behavior toward his star client, and Elvis certainly makes that clear.

The real Colonel Parker certainly had some unethical practices, and many Elvis viewers were shocked when the film revealed them. The real Tom Parker did a lot of controversial things during his time in show business, and the Baz Luhrmann movie reveals just how callous and uncaring he could be in pursuit of wealth. The Colonel wasn't a household name before Elvis, but Tom Hanks' controversial portrayal of the Elvis Presley manager has meant the controversial entertainment mogul's story is gaining interest — and infamy.

Who Was The Elvis Manager Played By Tom Hanks?

The Real Colonel Tom Parker Explained

Colonel Tom Parker, as played by Tom Hanks in Elvis, was the controversial manager of singer Elvis Presley (played by Austin Butler). In both the 2022 movie and real life, the Elvis Presley manager was a man with a mysterious past who had a key role in both The King's success and downfall. Elvis and the Colonel were associated throughout the musician's entire career, including music, movies, and TV specials.

Known for his keen promotion and merchandising savvy, Parker, or "the Snowman," would help to make Elvis a household name, putting the singer on everything from lunch boxes to board games to trading cards and beyond. Parker found venue upon venue for Elvis to perform in, be it recording studios, Hollywood films, TV specials, and even satellite broadcasts, immersing the artist into the cultural zeitgeist while keeping him landlocked in North America.

Tom Parker illegally immigrated to the United States, finding employment as a carnival worker before ing the Army, where he was eventually discharged after going AWOL.

Born as Andreas Cornelis Dries van Kuijk in the Netherlands, Tom Parker illegally immigrated to the United States, finding employment as a carnival worker before ing the Army, where he was eventually discharged after going AWOL. Parker returned to the carnival, where he made his living for a time before getting involved in music promotion, working with the likes of Gene Austin, Minnie Pearl, Eddy Arnold, and Hank Snow.

Snow eventually led Parker to Elvis Presley. Parker became known as a shrewd, showy, and manipulative businessman who was able to work out lucrative deals at minimal overhead while making sure his pockets were lined healthily along the way. He was given the honorary title of "Colonel" in the Louisiana State Militia by Governor Jimmie Davis as thanks for the work he did on his political campaign.

In the end, Elvis and Colonel Parker shared a tragic journey that mirrored their working relationship

Parker adopted the title as if it were part of his identity, frequently being referred to as "The Colonel," despite his military discharge. Parker realized Elvis Presley's potential early and transitioned to managing him full-time. Managing the King of Rock and Roll proved to be a frequent challenge for Parker. He struggled with a gambling addiction while keeping Elvis on a short leash, halting the singer from touring overseas and pushing him into cheap projects that were frequently averse to what the artist wanted for his career, eventually taking 50% of Elvis' earnings, of which they both agreed upon.

Elvis Presley had his own struggles, as his lavish spending, addiction issues, divorce, and declining health took a toll on The King. In the end, Elvis and Colonel Parker shared a tragic journey that mirrored their working relationship.

Tom Parker’s Role As Elvis’ Manager Explained

The Elvis Presley Manager Played By Tom Hanks Was Just As Nefarious In Real Life

Tom Parker was well-known as a strong and exploitative promoter. He would scout out talent and attempt to extract as much profit from them as possible before moving on — including Elvis, whom he initially saw as an act that wouldn't last more than a few years. However, it soon became obvious that Elvis had staying power. Parker found ways to market Elvis through merchandise, TV appearances, and films, always working in some kind of cross-promotion to make more money off the endeavor.

In 1958, Parker encouraged Elvis to voluntarily enlist in the Army after he received a draft notice, leading Elvis to serve for two years as a regular soldier, showing the world that he was just like any average American. Elvis and the Colonel worked to change his overall image in the wake of the backlash from his critics, who frequently deemed him offensive.

The Colonel focused on more films, TV appearances, and albums, saturating the airwaves with Elvis.

When Elvis returned home from the Army, The Colonel focused on more films, TV appearances, and albums, saturating the airwaves with Elvis. The pattern that Parker would traditionally follow was affordability and profit over quality, which would eventually help to torpedo Elvis' career for a time.

In 1967, Parker pushed Elvis to marry Priscilla Beaulieu, hoping that it would help change the tide of his career. However, the tide wasn't actually changed until a 1968 TV special, produced by Scott Binder, put Elvis the singer back on top, while simultaneously showing the Colonel how close he was to losing the singer to another producer.

The Colonel seized on the moment and put Elvis back on tour, eventually settling on a residency in Las Vegas and a non-stop barrage of venues and recordings that took the singer to the brink, as he deteriorated into a mockery of his former self. Even so, he continued to sell out shows and hit the Top 10 charts.

Parker sent Elvis all over the United States, but he would never let him out of North America, leaving Canada as the only other nation to host The King in his long career. The reasons for this are a source of controversy, as it was believed that Parker's status as an illegal immigrant would prohibit him from traveling as he didn't have a port, nor could he get one due to his status.

However, Parker claimed that his issue with overseas performances was over security issues, as well as poor venues not suitable for the star's stature. Elvis Presley expressed his desire to go overseas frequently, but he was kept at bay with easy and fast money arranged by The Colonel on projects in the U.S. By the time they reached the final years of Elvis' career, the two were so intertwined and invested that it made more sense to stay in business than to walk away.

In the end, they'd become dependent on one another and were in too deep to even know how to start over.

How Accurate Is Tom Hanks' Portrayal Of Tom Parker In Elvis?

The Tom Hanks Tom Parker Made Some Changes To The Real Thing

Tom Hanks has played many real people, though the role of Elvis Presley's manager is one of his most controversial portrayals in a biopic so far. Tom Hanks won his first Oscar for Philadelphia, where he played an AIDs-afflicted lawyer, losing significant weight to portray the character's declining health. Gaining or losing weight, taking on accents, and experimenting in a variety of genres that pushed his limits as an actor, Hanks has built a career out of challenging roles.

Hanks has portrayed real-life people in several films, from Jim Lovell in Apollo 13 to Mr. Rogers in A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood to Captain Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger in Sully. Tom Hanks has proven time and again that he's up to the challenge of playing a real-world personality and the role of the Colonel in Elvis is no different.

Notable Real-Life Characters Tom Hanks Has Played

Although the Colonel was from the Netherlands originally, Hanks's Parker in Elvis had a Southern accent with an unusual Dutch twang due to Parker spending a large portion of his life in the U.S. The Colonel was also a heavier-set man with balding hair and frequently wore a fedora and a suit of some type, sometimes made of gaudy designs to help promote something. He had a matter-of-fact method of speaking and didn't suffer fools lightly. Hanks retains all of these qualities in his performance, including the adoption of prosthetics to help look more like the controversial Parker.

Hanks wore a fat suit and heavy makeup to appear more like Parker, but the real performance came in the mannerisms, accent, and presence of Hanks embodying Elvis Presley's manager. While it sometimes borders on cartoonish parody, with Hanks seemingly becoming a supervillain of sorts, it fits the overall style and narrative of director Baz Luhrmann's movie. It's one of only a very few villainous roles that Hanks has taken in his long career in movies, making it a relatively rare departure for the actor.

What Really Happened To Colonel Tom Parker?

The Real Elvis Presley Manager ed Away In 1997

After Elvis' death in 1977, the Elvis Presley manager continued on as if The King were still alive. Never one to miss an opportunity to make money off of his prized client, Colonel Tom Parker jumped on Elvis's death as a marketing cash grab. He attended Elvis's funeral dressed in a Hawaiian shirt and baseball cap, avoiding any display of emotion. He then convinced Elvis' father, Vernon, to sign over control of Elvis' movie and singing "career" to him. Parker was eventually sued by Elvis's estate over mismanagement, which found his dealings over the years to be unethical and extortionate.

In 1983, Tom Parker was paid $2 million in an out-of-court settlement, which had him turn over any and all audio and video recordings he had of Elvis and terminated his involvement in any Elvis-related earnings for five years. Despite the court controversy, Parker continued to appear at Elvis-themed events, from anniversaries to special events, etc. Having been a staple in The King's life for so long, he was well known to Elvis' ex-wife, Priscilla Presley, who humored his appearances at such venues, regarding him as a family friend despite their clashes over the estate.

Parker was an avid gambler, which is believed to have been the source of many of his "fast money" dealings with Elvis. He was believed to have been in debt to the Las Vegas Hilton for over $30 million at one point, which led to his eviction from the property after Elvis' death. Parker suffered a stroke in 1997, dying at a hospital in Las Vegas, Nevada after years of declining health, survived only by his second wife. After a lifetime of earning well over $100 million managing Elvis, The Colonel's estate was barely worth $1 million upon his death.

What Tom Hanks Thinks Of His Tom Parker Role

Tom Hanks Thought The Part Was Too Intriguing To Up

Tom Hanks's portrayal as Tom Parker was a shocking one. However, as he always does, Hanks shone as Tom Parker in Elvis, and the Colonel proved to the world that he could play a complex villain. The actor has talked about the project, what drew him to it, and how he felt about the overall story. Reportedly, Hanks was approached by Elviz director Baz Luhrmann, and after a short conversation, the actor was keen to get involved and play the Colonel.

In particular, Hanks was looking forward to taking part in a fresh look at the story, as the tale of Elvis is well-known enough to garner fatigue. In an interview (via Entertainment Weekly), Hanks broke down why he took the part,

"Baz said, 'There would've been no Colonel Tom Parker without Elvis. And there certainly would've been no Elvis without Colonel Tom Parker.' And when he said that, I said, 'Oh, well, okay, now that's brand new."

Tom Hanks was also intrigued by the fact that the wider public knew very little about the Elvis manager, claiming this was another reason he took on the role:

"I had the luxury of essentially recreating somebody who no one really knew. I had a different layer of expectations," the actor said.

The complex Elvis/Parker relationship is the glue that holds Elvis together, making it different from yet another musician biopic. Hanks's performance is certainly one of the highlights of the movie, giving audiences something they aren't used to seeing from the actor.

Tom Hanks Missed Out On Elvis Oscar Nomination

Austin Butler Was Nominated For His Lead Performance

Elvis picked up an impressive seven Oscar nominations. However, there were some interesting omissions from the award announcements, including Tom Hanks's performance as Colonel Tom Parker. First, Baz Luhrmann ed a list of directors including Joe Wright, Frank Darabont, and Lawrence Kasdan as someone who had two Best Picture nominations but didn't get a Best Director nomination either time. Second, for a movie about a musician, Elvis also didn't receive any music nominations at the Oscars. Finally, Tom Hanks wasn't nominated for Best ing Actor.

Austin Butler won the Golden Globe for Best Actor, beating out favorite Brendan Fraser (The Whale), and he picked up a nomination for the same award at the Oscars. However, Hanks, who has six prior nominations and won twice, was snubbed for his role as Colonel Tom Parker. While Elvis and the Colonel carried Elvis to several awards, Hanks' omission stands out above most others. The other five nominations were for technical (Editing, Sound, Cinematography) and design (Costume Design, Makeup and Hairstyling).

Colonel Tom Parker Was Such A Different Role For Tom Hanks

Hanks Used His Image To Defy Fans' Expectations

While the actions of Colonel Tom Parker in Elvis are quite off-putting, one of the reasons it is even more impactful is that it's Tom Hanks playing the role. As much as the actor is unrecognizable in the makeup and as skilled of an actor as he is, it is hard to look past the fact that one of the most beloved movie stars of all time is playing such an unpleasant character. However, it is Hanks's well-known reputation in movies that makes his casting so effective.

Parker exists in the movie for the audience to despise and Hanks seems to relish the opportunity.

Parker is a very different role for Hanks, not only because he is typically headlining a movie himself, but also because he is not often playing a villainous role like this. Movies such as Road to Perdition have allowed Hanks to stretch his nice-guy persona, playing a morally complicated protagonist, but one the audience is still largely rooting for. Parker exists in the movie for the audience to despise and Hanks seems to relish the opportunity.

Hanks is not only known for playing likable characters but has also played real-life figures who have wholesome reputations and are beloved by many fans, like Fred Rogers and Walt Disney. Elvis further pushes back against this reputation of Hanks as he is a character who is the antagonist to a beloved real-life figure like Elvis. It shows that, no matter how well Hanks has cultivated that on-screen persona through iconic performances, he can shatter it with one standout performance.