Tom Hanks praised Steve Zahn’s performance as Lenny Haise in his 1996 directorial debut, *That Thing You Do!*, calling it “the performance of the ages” and “astonishing”. The remarks underline Zahn’s contribution to a film that initially underperformed commercially but later became a cult favourite.

The musical comedy-drama follows fictional 1960s one-hit-wonders The Wonders, with Zahn playing the band’s eccentric lead guitarist. Hanks wrote, directed and appeared in the film, which opened in October 1996 and reportedly earned about $25 million in the US and $8.7 million internationally before gaining a wider following through home viewing.