David Moscow Reveals How Tom Hanks Brought Childhood To Life In “Big”

Thirty-six years after “Big,” the classic body-swap comedy starring Tom Hanks, hit theaters, David Moscow still remembers the magic of being part of it. David, who played young Josh in the movie, recently shared fond memories of filming with Tom, describing him as a genuinely down-to-earth person.

“He’s not pretentious. There’s no pretension about him at all. He would come to work in a backpack and take the subway,” David said. 

Although the two didn’t share any scenes on screen, Tom spent time with David and his friends in preparation for his role as the adult version of Josh. According to David, this helped Tom nail the childlike wonder of the character.

“He was a big kid. He was super playful, [and] very fun. There was no treating me as a kid. He just treated himself as a kid,” David recalled.

According to David, Tom would join them in the park, videotaping them playing and acting out scenarios from the film. 

“When you watch the movie, there’s a moment in it where we’re like, ‘That’s Ernest. He’s doing Ernest right there!’ Ernest had these long arms and a big head, and he would use his head to push me away, and then switch the ball from his long arm to his other long arm, and Tom did it,” David stated.

Tom also paid attention to small details that made his performance authentic. David remembered how Tom insisted on wearing Converse shoes in the movie because “it really affected how he walked. He took all the quirky, awkward things about being a kid and made them live in him.”

Tom’s support extended to the set, as David shared that during the filming of his first scene, he struggled with the director Penny Marshall’s meticulous shooting style. “I was on take 35 [of my first scene] and luckily, Tom showed up on that day to watch me. He pulled me aside and he’s like, ‘Don’t worry about it kid. Yesterday I had one shot where I did 55 takes, and it’s because she wants every possible option when she gets the editing room.’ Thank goodness he told me that,” David recalled.

The film became a monumental success, earning Tom his first Oscar nomination for Best Actor and winning him a Golden Globe. It was also a landmark for director Penny Marshall, as Big became the first feature film directed by a woman to gross over $100 million at the box office.

“He couldn’t be held back, that enormous talent,” David said. 

Today, David is busy with his travel food series, From Scratch, which he works on with his wife and father. The fifth season premieres in April and takes the actor to places like Kansas City, Denmark, and Sweden. The show dives into the world’s food supply, focusing on how meals are sourced, who’s involved, and why it matters.