Hanks: A Cat In Love With The Chase

Steven Spielberg's new film, "Catch Me If You Can," tells the tale of con artist Frank Abignale, played by Leonardo DiCaprio, and the FBI agent chasing him, Carl Hanritty, played by two-time Academy Award winner Tom Hanks.

"Like all of the FBI agents that I have spoken to, his life is the Bureau. He loves being an FBI agent. He is assigned to the 'B' Department in the FBI that he wants to be assigned to most, bank, fraud. It's not bad guys with guns. It's not even drugs. It's bad pieces of paper," explains Hanks to Early Show co-anchor Harry Smith.

"And he thinks he is the best human being on the planet to catch guys who pass bad pieces of paper. And he loves his job. And he loves his life. And he has no other life outside it, unfortunately," Hanks adds.

So much of the movie is being advertised as this chase and everything else. But the core of the film is really a story of loneliness and some sadness. The character Hanks plays is very much alone. DiCaprio's character also ends up very much alone. And it's that loneliness that carries the film.

"All the great stories are all about loneliness, because it's the thing that is universal. We all, at one point, are going to feel as though, 'I'm so alone. And I want to belong to something bigger than myself,'" Hanks says.

"For Frank Abingale, the aspect of family had an awful lot to do with it. He wanted to be part of a family, because he wasn't otherwise. I mean, he could put on a Pan Am uniform and be part of a fraternity of Pan Am, you know, pilots. But it's not the same thing. Likewise, I think Carl Hanritty-- I mean, his family is the FBI. That's his life, his lifestyle. His holidays are dictated by what's going on in the FBI office. There is a great truth that I think is why it's a surprisingly deeper movie than one would think."

As for his co-star, Hanks praised DiCaprio for his great understanding of what it is that he wants to do in every scene during the course of the movie.

"He doesn't need any advice. And I wouldn't know what advice to give anyone. He's an incredibly intelligent man," says Hanks. "I think from a very early age, from the first time I saw him with 'What's Eating Gilbert Grape.' I just said, 'Okay, here is an actor who is hellbent on a very specific library of work when the day is done.' So I don't have anything to say to Leo. Other than, 'Can I be in your movie?'" Hanks says with a big laugh.

In the film, Hanks plays a supporting role, though some may say he is the biggest movie star in the country.

"When I read the screenplay for the first time, I said, 'There is a fabulous role in here for Carl Hanritty. Who's playing it?' They said, 'Nobody is.' I said, 'Well, can I? Can I suggest myself for it?' And they said, 'Yeah, that might be a good idea.' And lo and behold, there it was," says Hanks, adding that there is nothing wrong with having a supporting role.

And his performance shows he had the time of his life.

"That's my secret," says Hanks. "I usually am (having a good time) on most films. But a lot of times, you've got to talk about how serious and how hard it is."

He adds that there are times when he, as an actor, he has to go to deep places to perform a part.

"But this was a blast," he says of "Catch Me If You Can," add, "The Frank Abingale character cannot exist without a cat chasing him. And it's wonderful to be the cat. You feel as though you want Frank to get away with everything. And you wonder when he'll be caught. But you also want Carl Hanritty to do his job."

He continues, "For me, it was like, as soon as I read it, I knew exactly what each scene was going to entail – the energy and the power that was going to be necessary. And you know, it's wonderful to have something that is that clear cut to play every day."