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Tom Hanks' latest coronavirus update is inspired by Mister Rogers

Who better to look to during troubling times than Mister Rogers?
/ Source: TODAY

Tom Hanks looked to someone we know and love — and that he recently portrayed on the big screen — as the source of inspiration for his latest Instagram post while in isolation after testing positive for the coronavirus.

"Thanks to the Helpers. Let’s take care of ourselves and each other. Hanx," the 63-year-old wrote.

His words echo the sentiment of the beloved Fred Rogers, better known as his television alias — Mister Rogers.

During troubling times, Rogers looked to a quote from his mom. "My mother would say to me, 'Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping,'" he said. "To this day, especially in times of 'disaster,' I remember my mother's words, and I am always comforted by realizing that there are still so many helpers — so many caring people in this world."

Hanks announced last Wednesday that he and his wife, Rita Wilson, 63, tested positive for the coronavirus while in Australia. His latest update also pays homage to the country with a stuffed kangaroo, the Australian flag and a tube of Vegemite — a popular food spread from Down Under.

"We felt a bit tired, like we had colds, and some body aches. Rita had some chills that came and went. Slight fevers too," the actor wrote when making the announcement on his Instagram.

He also noted that he and Wilson "will be tested, observed, and isolated for as long as public health and safety requires."

His most recent post isn't the first time he's referenced a character from one of his movies.

On Friday, Hanks posted a photo of himself next to his wife with an update on their recovery and ended the message with a famous line from his character, Jimmy Dugan, in "A League of Their Own": "There is no crying in baseball."

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Colin Hanks — whose mother was late actress Samantha Lewes, Tom Hanks' first wife — recently shared an update on his parents' recovery.

"We are so grateful for the outpouring of support from everyone," he wrote. "My parents are receiving excellent care in Australia and are doing well (and in good spirits) given the circumstances."

Chet Hanks, Hanks and Wilson's older son, also told fans not to worry.

"Yeah, it’s true, my parents got coronavirus. It’s crazy," the 29-year-old actor wrote on Instagram last Thursday. "They both are fine, they’re not even that sick."