Tom Hanks Admits He Turned Down Jeff Bezos' Offer To Fly Into Space For 10 Minutes 17 Seconds

Tom Hanks, admitted not interested in flying into space at a price of 28 million dollars. (photo: twitter)

JAKARTA – Hollywood movie star, Tom Hanks, admitted that Jeff Bezos had invited him to fly into space at a price of 28 million US dollars (Rp397 billion). He stated that in a talk show hosted by Jimmy Kimmel.

Hanks, 65, didn't seem too concerned that he had missed the 10-minute and 17-second trip on Blue Origin's phallic rocket ship, after turning down an offer by Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, 57.

The offer eventually came to William Shatner, the senior film star best known for his role as Captain James T. Kirk, in Star Trek. But unlike Hanks, Shatner didn't pay for the mission, according to the Wall Street Journal. The 90-year-old man has finally become the oldest person to go into space.

The Toy Story actor didn't seem too impressed with the billionaire's offer of space travel at such a high price.

"Yes, as long as I pay," he told Jimmy Kimmel on his show yesterday. "You know, it's about $28 million for something like that. I'm fine, Jimmy, I'm fine.

“I didn't pay 28 bucks - you know, we can simulate the experience of going to space here. It's about a 12-minute flight… is it about that?”

Hanks proceeded to recline in his chair and grunt as he rocked his body to simulate a rocket taking off.

“Do that for four minutes, okay. You do it for four minutes and then you wake up and you float. You take off your seatbelt [and say:] "wow, whoa, this is awesome! Man, ohh, what?" then come back in and four more minutes.”

"I don't have to spend $28 million to do that," Hanks said sarcastically on Bezos' offer.

When Kimmel asked if the movie star would go on a trip to space for free, Hanks admitted he would simulate the experience once in a while.

"I'll do it every now and then to experience the excitement of pretending to be a billionaire," Hanks added.

Kimmel also discussed Hank's new role as an astronaut in Apple TV's upcoming work, Finch. In the film, he plays a robotics engineer who survives a 'catastrophic solar event' and must ensure the safety of his dog after he leaves by creating a robot to do just that.

The film star is no stranger to the challenges of new roles. The actor, who played the pilot of Sully's plane making an emergency landing in the water and the family favorite Forrest Gump, also took on a new challenge as a radio host.

The actor told Kimmel he'd be hosting a show on Boss Radio 66, which Hanks described as 'the stuff from the '60s you've never heard of before.'

Hanks has hosted several radio shows, including one for his 66th birthday.

Hanks may have opted out of the spaceflight extravaganza for a cheaper (and free) version of the ride on Kimmel's couch, but Bezos - along with his brother, an 18-year-old from the Netherlands, and 82-year-old aviation pioneer Wally Funk, took off. with the first civil flights in mid-July.

Shatner, himself replacing Hanks, flew into space on a Bezos rocket on October 13, on Blue Origin's second human flight mission. The second flight on the New Shephard spacecraft lasted 10 minutes and 17 seconds. The crew flew at an altitude of 347,539 feet above ground level, or about 65 miles.

Bezos, who is worth $193 billion, became part of the first civilian crew without a pilot in July. Since then, he has announced that he plans to open a commercial space station called Orbital Reef by the end of the decade.

Orbital Reef will be able to accommodate 10 people at a time and will have a 'space hotel', as well as being an ideal place for 'filming in microgravity' and being able to 'conduct cutting-edge research.'