Tom Hanks to narrate major new Second World War documentary

By Jenny Garnsworthy, Press Association

Hollywood star Tom Hanks has said it is hard to imagine how people were “held in stasis for an undefined amount of time” during the Second World War, as he discussed his new role as the narrator of a documentary series about the conflict.

WWII With Tom Hanks is described as an “epic multi-part exploration” of the war and will debut on Sky History in the UK, as well as on other channels worldwide.

The “definitive retelling” will span 20 episodes and feature newly uncovered archival material and insights from leading historians.

In a clip shared exclusively with the Press Association, Hanks, 69, spoke of how living through the war was “part and parcel to daily life”.

Hanks said it is easy to forget that those who lived through the major world event had no idea how long it would last at the time.

He said they “talked about it from a life that was held in stasis for an undefined amount of time”.

He added: “We can now all look back and say, of course, we know when the war began.

“We know when it ended. If you were not there, if you were actually alive during those years, from 1939 and really, from 1936 until 1946 they had no idea when the war was going to end.

“In fact, many of them just assumed it would go on for the next 10 or 15 years, which was a real possibility.”

Hanks described how war permeated everyone’s everyday lives, adding: “The war – those years that my dad and my teacher and my dad’s friends and my friends’ dads and parents talked about was part and parcel to daily life.

“There were television shows, there were documentaries, there were movies, there was music that was still there.

“It was all about the war. Everybody you saw on TV that was an established performer had a history and a participation during those years.

“And sometimes it was just about being alive – being an eight-year-old kid when the war was going on.

“Certainly for others, it was about being on the front or in the services, in uniform.”

Hanks said that “during my formative years, every single adult in my life would make references to two words: The War”.

He added: “The lasting effects of WWII on the world and my own family were not lost on me. I am thrilled to partner with Sky History/The History Channel to produce this all-encompassing series in its entirety.”

WWII With Tom Hanks will premiere on Sky History on May 26th.