Tom Hanks, Steve Martin and Martin Short have turned one very unglamorous medical routine into a competition.
During a recent appearance on ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!,’ Hanks, 69, opened up about the trio’s unusual colonoscopy parties. Yes, that is exactly what it sounds like.
The ‘Toy Story’ star said that about every five years, he, Short, 76, and Martin, 80, gather before the procedure, eat clear Jell-O and wait for the prep medication to do its job.
Tom Hanks Explains Their Colonoscopy Tradition
“About every five years, when that special date rolls around, we gather to chow down on clear Jell-O,” Hanks said.
The real competition, though, starts after they begin the colonoscopy prep. The three actors reportedly play cards while trying to see who can wait the longest before racing to the bathroom.
“It’s a real man-to-man showdown,” Hanks joked.
He said the stakes are simple. The first one who gives in gets stuck with the last appointment slot for the colonoscopy. The person who lasts longest gets the earliest slot.
“The last man standing gets first dibs,” Hanks said.
Martin Short And Steve Martin Shared Their Version First
Short and Martin had previously told Kimmel about the strange tradition.
Short said the night before the procedure starts around 5 p.m. at Martin’s house. In Canada, he joked, they call it “Colonoscopy Eve.”
“It’s a catered affair,” Short said. “There’s Jell-O, of course.”
Then comes the toast, the waiting and the inevitable bathroom chaos.
By 10 p.m., Short joked that the bathroom looks like “Day 14 of a Carnival cruise.”
Martin had his own more artistic description, comparing the scene to a Jackson Pollock painting.
Hanks Says He Has A Competitive Edge
When Kimmel asked who usually has the strongest willpower, Hanks did not hesitate.
“I’ve got a colon of steel, my friend,” he said.
The actor also used the moment to remind viewers to get checked.
“Hey folks, don’t forget to get checked!” Hanks said.
Kimmel added his own joke, saying he gets colonoscopies annually and that Steven Spielberg directs them.
It is not every day that Hollywood legends make preventive health sound like a buddy comedy. But if Hanks, Martin and Short are involved, even colonoscopy prep somehow becomes a competition with punchlines.
