Ross Malinger opened up about his close chemistry with Tom Hanks in the 1993's Sleepless in Seattle.
Malinger was eight years old when he starred as Jonah Baldwin, the son of protagonist Sam (Hanks), who sets his father up with Annie (Meg Ryan).
Now, 31 years later since the film got released, the 42-year-old actor looked back on his lasting friendship with Hanks, 69.
"We genuinely cared about each other," Malinger told Entertainment Weekly. "That natural chemistry allowed me to really bring a lot of intensity and emotion to Jonah’s character."
He said that during filming, the Forrest Gump star was "always joking around and making me laugh."
"Tom and I worked together in harmony, and ultimately that is what I believe made this film a classic," he added.
Their bond went beyond the set of Sleepless in Seattle, as when the filming concluded, the stars remained in touch and Hanks even invited Malinger to two other premieres, his 1993 film Philadelphia and his 1996 film That Thing You Do.
After Sleepless in Seattle, Malinger landed over 20 roles in TV and film before leaving Hollywood behind. His last on-screen role was in a 2006 episode of Without a Trace.
Meanwhile, Hanks career skyrocketed after the film. He won his first Academy award for his role in Philadelphia and starred in iconic film Forrest Gump for which he earned his second Oscar.
Sleepless Night in Seattle is available to stream on Amazon Prime and Apple TV.
