In 2011, two fans told Tom Hanks his movie was terrible. He paid them $25 as an apology

In 2011, Tom Hanks met a couple at a Pacific Palisades petrol station who had just watched *Larry Crowne*, the film he co-wrote, directed and starred in. When they told him they had expected more from it, he gave them $25, reportedly to cover their tickets.

The article presents the gesture as a spontaneous response to honest criticism, reflecting Hanks’s approachable public image. *Larry Crowne* received a lukewarm response despite earning more than twice its budget, and the anecdote has since given the film a memorable story beyond its box-office performance.