Tom Hanks and Paul Giamatti took the Capitol by storm last night for the premier of their mini-series, John Adams. Hanks garners a level of star power that brings out some of the Hill’s finest to gawk, but as he was walking through the halls of the Capitol, it seemed like Hanks was the one in awe.





(Photo by John Shinkle)

As he was giving his entourage a history lesson of the building, Hanks told Politico that the building “just knocks you back.” He stopped at the statue of Philo T. Farnsworth, inventor of the first completely electronic television and referred to him as “the father of HBO.” Among the entourage was Hanks’ daughter, Liz, who, dressed in a fabulous sequined t-shirt dress (from Banana Republic on sale, she told us), affectionately shepherded Hanks around with a, “This way Dad.”



Nancy Pelosi gave Giamatti a shout out for being an Italian John Adams. The feature’s director, Tom Hooper, said he cast Giamatti because he’s real. “The last thing I wanted to do was cast a dashing, masculine idol to play John Adams, when the man in reality was a balding, plump, middle aged man,” Hooper told Politico. Not that he was calling Giamatti plump and middle aged, but he did say Giamatti provides a level of surprise for the audience.





(From left: Paul Giamatti, John Boehner, Tom Hanks, Nancy Pelosi. Photo by John Shinkle.)

Kirk Ellis, the screenwriter that adapted David McCullough’s epic biography, said the adaptation took five and a half years, just a year and half shy of the seven years it took McCullough to write the book. McCullough, who also was in attendance, worked closely with Ellis on the screenplay, giving notes on various drafts throughout.



In addition to the honored guests of Pelosi, House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio), Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), who each got a shout out from HBO co-president Richard Plepler. Spotted at the reception with appropriately tooth-picked apps were Reps. Dave Obey (D-Wisc.) and Jane Harman (D-Calif.) and former Rep. Tim Roemer (D-Ind.). Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.) was also there, but when Pelosi was shouting, “Teddy! Come back!” word is he had already left to show some fatherly support for his son, Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-R.I.), who had legislation on the floor.



And of course, no trip to Washington is complete without some political chatter. Hanks, an Obama supporter, said, “I wish the election was being held tomorrow. I’m bored!”

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