Tom Hanks’ First Ever Lead Role Ruined D&D for an Entire Generation
Before Tom Hanks became America's favorite, he starred in a movie that accidentally turned parents against children having fun. Yes, you read that right and the story is wild.
Tom Hanks. The name alone makes me think about some of the most powerful performances in modern cinema.
I can never sit through Saving Private Ryan without crying or watch Big without a smile on my face. He's the kind of actor who can take any script and elevate it by simply being there.
But before he became the Tom Hanks we know today, he was just another young actor trying to make it big. After a small part in the 1980 horror film He Knows You're Alone, Hanks landed his first leading role. And goodness gracious, what a role it was. As brutally honest fan numbersix1979 on Reddit warned:
“If you’re someone who loves Tom Hanks then don’t watch this movie because you’ll never think he’s cool ever again.”
Mazes and Monsters (1982): Over-Dramatization of a Real-Life Tragedy
The film that launched Tom Hanks' career as a leading man was a made-for-TV movie about roleplaying games. Yeah, you heard that right. And not just any roleplaying game, it was basically a thinly veiled attack on Dungeons & Dragons which was kind of successful in its own messed up way (but more on that later).
Hanks plays a college student who gets way too into a fantasy roleplaying game called Mazes and Monsters (very subtle). He starts having trouble separating fantasy from reality, and things spiral from there.
.jpg)
The movie was actually based on a novel inspired by the real-life disappearance of James Dallas Egbert III, a college student who went missing in 1979. The media at the time tried to blame D&D for his disappearance, even though it later turned out the game had nothing to do with it.
Tom Hanks Started His Career by Scaring Parents Everywhere
And here is where it gets really interesting. Released during the early stages of the Satanic Panic in the US, the movie became a serious warning about the so-called dangers of roleplaying.
.jpg)
Suddenly, Dungeons & Dragons wasn't just a game about pretending to be an annoying bard or a brave elf. It was portrayed as a dangerous gateway to madness and somehow satanic rituals.
The impact was real and immediate. As Redditor Pretty_Leader3762 shared:
“Our local library threw out their D&D books during the Satanic Panic.”
Thus, you can understand the panic of parents who in turn restrained their children from playing Dungeons & Dragons.
Where to Watch Mazes and Monsters?
Looking back now, it's kind of hilarious to think that this was Hanks' big break. And the bigger irony is that D&D has not only survived but thrived. It's now more popular than ever, with celebrities openly playing and streaming their campaigns. Even Netflix 's Stranger Things showed us D&D in a more positive light.
If you're curious about watching this very bizarre piece of TV history, Mazes and Monsters is available on Hoopla and Plex completely free of charge. And hey, if nothing else, at least we can say Tom Hanks' acting was convincing enough to accidentally help spark real-life panic. Now that's a powerful debut performance.
