10 Iconic Movie Characters Only ONE Actor Could Play

10. Mr. Rogers - Tom Hanks

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood hasn't released in every territory at the time of writing, but it's already receiving a whole bunch of awards buzz, and Tom Hanks' portrayal of lovable television icon Fred Rogers is right at the centre of it all.

Mr. Rogers, in a lot of ways, is intrinsically tied to the childhoods of a certain generation raised in America, and was one of the few genuine good guys in an industry that has seen so many actors, filmmakers and producers turn out to be disappointing tragedies of people.

Consequently, there was only really one actor worthy of playing such a goodhearted fellow. Like the real life Rogers, Tom Hanks has that same endearing warmth - a centralised sense of goodness - that makes him such a likeable performer. Likewise, he's similarly tied to the childhood of a certain generation, having starred in family staples like Toy Story, Forest Gump and Big, meaning there's already a firm bond established between him and the audience.

Rogers is a figure easily mocked because of how earnest and sincere he was, and to a lot of people sincerity is scary, but Tom Hanks is not one of those people, and is perhaps the only big actor with the compassion needed to do Fred's story justice.