‘Dead Eyes’ Host Connor Ratliff Will Finally Confront Tom Hanks After 22 Years

Ratliff, who currently stars in Amazon’s “Marvelous Miss Maisel,” has produced 30 episodes of the “Dead Eyes” podcast, which explores the idea of rejection, failure and learning how to get back up on your feet.

In an interview with Vanity Fair, the 46-year-old podcast host explained why “Dead Eyes” is so relatable. “Not everyone has one that is so star-studded,” Ratliff admitted. “But everybody has some story like, ‘Boy, I really was feeling good and confident. And then I got thrown for a loop.’”

Not only will Ratliff finally be able to learn the reason why Hanks fired him, but listeners will also hear Hanks’ untold stories about his journey to fame as well as the unspoken rules of working on a set, his process for selecting projects and actors, and other nuggets of wisdom and advice that may offer Ratliff some closure.

“I was fully prepared for this to never happen, but I am thrilled that it has,” Connor told Deadline.  “I think for listeners who have been following along, it will be a very satisfying experience. And for new listeners, it’s a Tom Hanks episode, so what’s not to like?”

He continued, “We want it to feel as if you’re just there in the room with me and Tom.  I have been a fan ever since I heard him scream the line ‘I am not a fish’ in ‘Splash,’ and doing this podcast has only made me a bigger fan, even before he agreed to be a guest.”

In a sneak peek into the highly anticipated episode, the “Toy Story” actor recounts how he learned about “Dead Eyes” from his children.

“I was aghast,” Hanks laughed. “When I found out about this from my daughter and my son, I literally said, ‘How bad is it?’… I go right to the cheesy, melodramatic narrative, which is, like, Oh, okay, so this is going to essentially be an ongoing poison-pen letter. But it’s not.“

The “Dead Eyes” Season 3 finale featuring Hanks will be available on streaming platforms on March 10.