Ron Howard Says Tom Hanks Had to Take Off His Pants in Front of theMona LisaWhile FilmingThe Da Vinci Code

Mar. 15, 2025

Ron Howard and Tom Hanks.Photo:Stefano Guidi/Getty; Steve Granitz/FilmMagic

Stefano Guidi/Getty; Steve Granitz/FilmMagic

While the 2006 filmThe Da Vinci Codewas a suspenseful mystery, the making of the movie was, at times, more like a comedy.

At aHappy Daysreunion eventheld at MegaCon in Orlando on Friday, Feb. 7, directorRon Howardoffered an anecdote about the behind-the-scenes of the film and how starTom Hankswound up with no pants on in front of the world’s most revered work of art.

“All of our grip equipment and camera equipment was in theMona Lisaroom,” Howard, 70, said of the on-location production at the Louvre in Paris. “And at one point, we were really hurrying, we were behind schedule.”

He continued: “And Tom Hanks didn’t have time to go back to his dressing room to change for the next scene. And so I was giving him some notes about what the next scene was going to be and he was changing his pants in front of theMona Lisa.”

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Ron Howard and Tom Hanks while filming ‘The Da Vinci Code’ in 2005.Shutterstock

Shutterstock

“I said, ‘Wait a minute. This is a moment we have to remember,’ " Howard said, noting that many of his films with Hanks — includingSplashandApollo 13— have taken the actor to strange places. “We’ve been under the water with the mermaid, we’ve been weightless withApollo 13, and now you’re pants-less with theMona Lisa.”

“I always liked acting. I always liked being around it,” he said. “But very, very early on, I was attracted to the role of the director. And years later, I recognized that I don’t have the performer’s personality. I wasn’t hungry to perform … I was just dying to be behind the camera.”

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Howard has directed Hanks in five films, including three fromThe Da Vinci Codeseries:Splash,TheDa Vinci Code,Apollo 13,Angels & DemonsandInferno.

In a 2024 interview with PEOPLE, the director said hedoesn’t often reflect on his own portfolio— and hasn’t seen one of his most beloved films in some time.

“Frankly, I don’t go back and watch my movies, so it’s been a long time since I’ve seen [Splash],” Howard said when asked about scenes from the 40-year-old film he feels are underrated.

source: people.com