Tom Hanks, 70, and More Stars Reveal Their Surprising ‘Last Meals’ Orders—Plus the Fast Food Joint They All Love (Exclusive)
As ‘Last Meals’ comes to Netflix, the host shares his favorite celebrity last meal requests—plus the meal he’d choose for himself
Key Takeaways
- Josh Scherer reveals what the beloved actor chose for his ‘Last Meals’ episode.
- Scherer shares the sweet story of how he and Hanks began exchanging books about food.
- The ‘Last Meals’ host reveals the seafood tower, San Diego burrito and pie he’d want.
Josh Scherer, host of the web series Last Meals, is opening up about some of his favorite guests—and just in time, since the show is hitting Netflix this month! While chatting with Woman’s World about the show, Scherer revealed which meals stayed with him and why. Spoiler alert: legendary actor Tom Hanks loves In-N-Out just like the rest of us. To learn what Hanks and other celebs would choose as their last meals, keep scrolling!
Josh Scherer opens up about the celebrities he’s had on the show—and why everyone loves In-N-Out!
Scherer launched Last Meals in 2021 on the Mythical Kitchen YouTube channel. The show was designed to interview celebrities about their lives and what meal would be their “last”—as in, if they could plan the last meal they’d ever eat before they exit this life. For what could be a pretty morbid topic, it’s actually pretty inspiring. Over the years, Scherer has interviewed people like Hanks, Elijah Wood, Kathryn Hahn and even Ralph Macchio, all of whom impacted Scherer in different ways.
One of the biggest takeaways? Celebs love the same fast food joint. “I’ve been surprised at how many celebrities love In-N-Out. That has really been incredible. From Tom Hanks to Hilary Duff to Gordon Ramsay, it’s been funny seeing all of these different patterns show up,” Scherer tells Woman’s World. “The connection that celebrities will still have to a family dinner that their mom made you know when they were seven years old was a really wonderful surprise.”
Speaking of Hanks, Scherer took the time to call out one of the most memorable moments from that interview, which somehow happened after they finished filming.
“Tom Hanks was the first really big guest on the show—our sixth guest overall. With all due respect to the five before him, none of us were sure Tom Hanks would actually show up. We thought it might be an impersonator and we were getting punked. But he drove himself to set in a Prius, arrived 15 minutes early because he wasn’t sure if his call time included COVID testing. No entourage, just one publicist, and he was wonderful to everyone on our crew. It was a vote of confidence for what we were doing,” the chef and host says. “He had challah bread French toast with sugar-free syrup, which was controversial because we said, ‘Tom, if this is your last meal, surely you’d want regular syrup.’ He said, ‘No, this is what my wife [Rita Wilson] and I make every morning, and this is what I want.’ We drank tons of coffee, and he told me I shouldn’t listen to my doctor about caffeine intake. He actually mailed me a book about the history of coffee because we drank so much together.”
“We also ate Mexican food from El Cholo, a restaurant across from his old production offices in Santa Monica. He used to go there for happy hour with his employees at the end of each month. I mailed him a book about the history of Mexican food. So now it’s just me and Tom, two history dads, mailing books about food back and forth,” Scherer adds. “The best part was Tom collects vintage typewriters, and he sent me a typewritten note. It was six words: “Josh, think you would enjoy this book. Thanks, Hanks.” He signs it H-A-N-X. We have that on our fridge now.”
As for which guest he calls “really cool”, though the answer might surprise you.
“We have hospice nurse Julie McFadden on, and she’s cracking the funniest jokes about people dying—in a very tasteful way.” She’s like, ‘There’s a lot of emotions and tragedy certainly, but like anything in life, there’s also a lot of laughter, connectedness, and family.’ She’s seen everything. I’m excited for that episode to come out.”
A look at some celebrities last meals
Along with Hanks, Scherer has had some other notable guests on the show. Here are what they had as their last meal.
Terry Crews wants all the meat and vegetables
America’s Got Talent host Terry Crews told Scherer he wanted spicy tuna on crispy rice, creamy rock shrimp, Asian green salad, miso black cod, BBQ ribs, baked beans, collard greens, cornbread muffins, bison ribeye, baked sweet potato, grilled broccolini, smoothies, gazpacho, flame grilled Peri-Peri chicken, zucchini flan, crispy smashed potatoes, Frittata Affogato, caesar salad, garlic bread, double cheeseburger, fries and a strawberry shake at his last meal. Talk about a meat eater!
Hugh Jackman’s last meal truly is the greatest show
For actor Hugh Jackson, his last meal consists of baked beans on toast, Rose’s Lime Marmalade on toast, Australian meat pie from Old Mates, chicken schnitzel from Old Mates, Polo Bar burger, Shake Shack chocolate milkshake, McDonald’s fries, lasagna, tiramisu, Christmas pudding with Brandy butter, Tim Tams, ice cream and a flat white.
Sadly, there is no bacon for Kevin Bacon
Actor Kevin Bacon’s last meal is fish tacos and great spicy guacamole with no raw onions. A Philly cheesesteak with hot peppers, Hoppy IPA, full-bodied Italian reds or French whites, wood-burning pizza and Sautéed broccoli rabe. Also, anything from All Time on Hillhurst in L.A. or Bernee in Altadena and banana cake with chocolate frosting.
Kathryn Hahn is a stew fan
In search of a good stew this fall? Then pick up Hahn’s last meal! It has what she calls “a bunker special”, which is just toast with peanut butter and brown sugar broiled in the oven. She also loves what she calls her “witch’s” beef stew, Shirley Temples, a fresh loaf of warm Irish soda bread and a good TV dinner.
“I loved loved loved a TV dinner, usually Salisbury steak with the mashed potatoes and the peas and dessert on one,” Hahn says.
Macaulay Culkin’s last meal is perfect for when you’re home alone
If you’re eating alone, like actor Macaulay Culkin, or with other people, this meal is guaranteed to stun: Uni black truffle shooter, le foie gras, bone marrow with a toasted baguette, steak and fries and Campbell’s Chicken Noodle Soup.
Elizabeth Olsen’s favorite meal would feed both the old and the new Avengers
When it comes to Marvel actress Elizabeth Olsen, her last meal is quite complex: Martini with a twist, mom’s salmon balls with cabaret crackers, thinly sliced danish rye bread with butter, Don Bocarate Anchovies, Sonoma’s Valley Bar, Bottle’s “XO” Eggs, smashed potatoes with creme fraiche and caviar, Fabio Gea Onde Gravitazionali Wine, II, Buco’s kale caesar salad, Anajak whole Thai fish and a slice of rabbi pizza from Gorilla pies.
Hilary Duff is a McDonald’s Diet Coke fan
Like so many of us, actress Hilary Duff loves a good McDonald’s Diet Coke. She wants an extra dirty Gray Goose martini, caviar, Ruffles, the Oeuf mayo egg from Rory’s Place in Ojai, California, In-N-Out burger, Petit Trois French fries, corn agnolotti, her mom’s chicken and dumpling soup, a Cadbury mini egg and her Aunt Roz’s pineapple upside-down cake.
Josh Scherer reveals why the show is so special for him
For some people, the idea of sitting around discussing what they’d want to eat before they die might seem odd, but for Scherer, that idea means everything because it allows people to get deep.
“I want to make an incredible show and have this platform where people can share their stories, but ultimately, I’m absorbing so much and learning so much about myself. You see these patterns come up in everybody’s lives,” he says. “Not a single person on the show has ever said, ‘I regret not working more.’ Every single person has said, ‘I wish I wouldn’t have taken that movie. I wish I wouldn’t have gone out on that last tour. I wish I would have spent more time with my family and friends.”
Josh Scherer spills on what his last meal would be
Since he asks people what their last meal would be, we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to ask Scherer what his would be.
“There’s going to be a time when we fully do my last meal on the show, and that’s when we’ll actually sit down and put pen to paper. But I know there’s a couple things I want,” he says. “I want a big-ass seafood tower with something bubbly—either a pét-nat [wine] or a crisp, cold beer. My wife and I are both Jewish, so every Christmas we make a seafood tower to celebrate: shrimp cocktail, crab legs, raw clams and oysters, some sort of crudo and smoked fish dip. It’s my favorite thing to do.”
His absolute favorite food?
“My single favorite food on the planet is a San Diego-style carne asada burrito. I grew up in Oceanside, California and Orange County, and as a kid, I’d skateboard around aimlessly with nothing to do. You and your buddy would scrape together two bucks each to split a carne asada burrito wrapped in yellow paper from a place called Alberto’s. You could hang out there playing the Marvel vs. Capcom video game because the owner didn’t know it was broken—you could just keep pressing the button and it would play. Very fond memories,” Scherer adds.
What he wants to make next…
“I really want a blackberry meringue pie. I know what you’re saying: just put meringue on top of blackberry pie filling. No, no, no. I want to make a blackberry curd—juice the blackberries, strain them, reduce them, acid-digest it with lemon, egg yolk and sugar. Maybe even a lavender meringue on top. I’d want somebody to make that for me because I’ve been too lazy to make it for the last 12 years.”
Last Meals, hosted by Josh Scherer from Mythical Entertainment, premieres on September 7, 2026. You can watch old episodes on YouTube now.
Ready for more? Subscribe to our YouTube channel for video podcasts, health tips and uplifting stories designed for women 40, 50, 60 and beyond.
Conversation
All comments are subject to our Community Guidelines. Woman's World does not endorse the opinions and views shared by our readers in our comment sections. Our comments section is a place where readers can engage in healthy, productive, lively, and respectful discussions. Offensive language, hate speech, personal attacks, and/or defamatory statements are not permitted. Advertising or spam is also prohibited.
