Sure, he’s had a successful career as an actor, but Tom Hanks just proved he’d also make a fine journalist after sharing he once got quite the fun fact out of Queen Elizabeth II.
In an interview on BBC's "The One Show" Tuesday, Hanks, 65, recalled a time when he dined with the monarch, 96, who's currently marking her Platinum Jubilee, and discovered what her favorite cocktail is.
The "Elvis" actor said that he asked the queen about her drink of choice after he came prepared with some topics to talk about because conversing with her is “something you got to get ready for.”
"I knew I was going to be sitting next to her, and so I wanted to be able to talk about things that were of import, but not presumptuous, you know?" he explained. "So a few things about how often she truly has time off and what have you. It was nice chit-chat. It was OK."
Hanks then changed the topic to drinks once he saw someone place a beverage in front of the queen.
"And then out of the corner of my eye, I saw this white-gloved hand just put between me and Her Royal Majesty, this glass of water. That's all it was — a white glove, glass of water. But it wasn't in a water glass," he explained. "It was a clear liquid, and so I dared to ask the queen, 'And what is Your Majesty's cocktail of choice?' And she said, 'Ooh, martini.'"
Hanks noted that the queen "nursed" her signature drink "throughout the course of the night," and he started thinking that maybe he should try it too because the queen has been having a "wonderful reign."
“Maybe if I wanted to polish up my game a little bit, I’ll start having a martini every now and again,” he said.
Elizabeth is the first British monarch to be honored with a Platinum Jubilee, and the festivities kicked off Thursday in honor of her historic 70th year on the throne.
The queen's four-day Platinum Jubilee celebrations began with the Trooping the Color parade — a celebration of her birthday. While she was born in April, the queen officially also marks her big day in June.