For cabbies in New York, life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what passenger you’re going to get.
One “lucky” cab driver picked up Tom Hanks and later got to spend some one-on-one time with the actor backstage on Broadway.
Manny Anzalota told The Post Tuesday that he had just finished one of his shifts on a cold day in mid-January when a man tried to flag him down. The cabbie, who had no idea he was talking to the living legend because his face was hidden by a hat, was already late getting the car back to the garage.
“I told him I could take him to 59th Street, but he said never mind,” said Anzalota, who first shared his story with Humans of New York. But he had a change of heart after the man “looked sad.”
“I yelled out to him and told him to get in. He jumps in the car all happy and says, ‘Thank you so much. How is your day?’”
It took Anzalota a few minutes to realize he recognized the mystery man’s voice. When he approached a red light, he turned around and yelled, “WIILLLSSSOOOONNN!” — a nod to Hank’s 2000 flick “Cast Away.”
“The voice is very distinctive,” Anzalota said. “He speaks through his nose. I’ve been watching him all my life.”
Hanks immediately cracked up, and the two chatted about education, the cabbie’s previous gig working at Sotheby’s and his family.
Before leaving, Hanks asked if Anzalota wanted a picture, and the two snapped the now-viral selfie on the Upper East Side streets before the actor handed over a “generous” tip.
But that wasn’t the last encounter the two would have.
Throughout the next few months, the cabbie picked up people connected to Hanks, including Robert Guy, the wardrobe designer for “Lucky Guy,” and Christopher McDonald, who played the lawyer in the 2013 Broadway show starring Hanks.
Every time, Anzalota would tell them to “let Mr. Hanks know Mr. Ferrari said hello.” During their cab ride, Hanks nicknamed him Mr. Ferrari because he was decked out in Ferrari gear.
Then, Anzalota got a text message. “‘Mr. Ferrari, come to the show tomorrow. Bring the Ferrari outfit you wore when you met Tom Hanks. He wants to autograph it,” the text said.
When he arrived at the theater, he got VIP treatment, including backstage passes to meet Hanks again and get his Ferrari shirt and hat signed.
Anzalota noted in his interview with Humans of New York’s Brandon Stanton that Hanks’ show happened to be called “Lucky Guy.”
“How crazy is that? Cause that was me. A lucky guy!” he said.
