Tomfoolery

Winter 2017
Tom Hanks kisses the hand of Elisabeth Murphy ’11 while her new husband Ryan Barclay smiles in astonishment

(Photo by Meg Miller Photography)

In theaters, Tom Hanks was making a crash landing in Sully. In Central Park, he was crashing a wedding.

On September 24, Elisabeth Murphy ’11 and her new husband, Ryan Barclay, were strolling through the park with their photographer and videographer when Hanks, who was out for a run, casually jogged up behind them.

“Hi, I’m Tom Hanks,” he said, extending his hand to Murphy and her beaux. It took the bride a second to register what was happening before she exclaimed, “Oh my God!” and asked for a photo. “Elizabeth [different spelling] is my daughter’s name,” he said after she introduced herself. He told Barclay, “You’re a lucky man.”

As the couple posed for pics with the legendary actor, a member of their wedding party told Hanks, “We have extra seats.” He declined the invitation, saying he had a dinner engagement, but joked: “I am an ordained minister. If the guy cancels, just let me know.”

After taking a selfie with his phone, Hanks kissed Murphy on the cheek, wished the newlyweds good luck, and walked off. “We just peaked,” Murphy gushed to her family and friends.

Now in a league of their own, the couple made a big splash online — the photos appeared everywhere from Buzzfeed to the BBC.

— Aleta Mayne