People Have Realised Tom Hanks Was The Original Joe Goldberg

Warner Bros./Netflix

A bookstore, online personas, men named Joe in love with blonde women – have you ever noticed the similarities between You and You’ve Got Mail?

Netflix’s supremely bingeable thriller You has been a hit all around the world, as viewers flock to follow Joe (Penn Badgley) and his obsessive, serial killer antics.

Then there’s You’ve Got Mail, the timeless romantic comedy that saw Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan unite in a cute AOL love story. However, the male leads have quite a bit in common – even beyond the fact they’re both called Joe.

Netflix’s US account recently posted a tweet comparing the two characters, outlining each way they’re similar.

In You’ve Got Mail, Hanks’s character Joe Fox runs a larger book company, while Meg Ryan’s Kathleen Kelly runs The Shop Around the Corner, an independent book store under threat of closure due to Joe’s expansion in the area.

However, little do the warring pair know, they’ve known each other for sometime. Away from their respective spouses, they chat under the guise of usernames (NY152 and Shopgirl, respectively).

Warner Bros.

Neither of them know who the other person is, nor do they discuss anything explicit or sexual – they’re essentially just close friends, building a closer relationship through every email. However, as the plot thickens, Hanks’s Joe is forced to orchestrate meet-ups with an unaware Kathleen to spend time with her.

So, basically, Hanks is the original Joe Goldberg – without the murderous tendencies that make You such an addictive watch. The show’s official Twitter account replied to the tweet, writing: ‘You’ve Got Mail (that Joe Goldberg has already read)!’

It’s had some fans calling for a crossover between the two unlikely worlds, with one writing: ‘I will never look at You’ve Got Mail the same thanks to this tweet Netflix!’

There are, obviously, some key differences. Mainly the fact that You’ve Got Mail Joe is, actually, a nice guy prone to being a bit of a d*ck from time to time, whereas You’s Joe is an absolute monster.

A third season of the Netflix hit has been confirmed – unsurprising, considering yet another cliffhanger was dropped at the end of season two.

You’ve Got Mail isn’t currently available on UK Netflix, but you can go back and binge all of You again.

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Cameron Frew

After graduating from Glasgow Caledonian University with an NCTJ and BCTJ-accredited Multimedia Journalism degree, Cameron ventured into the world of print journalism at The National, while also working as a freelance film journalist on the side, becoming an accredited Rotten Tomatoes critic in the process. He’s now left his Scottish homelands and took up residence at UNILAD as a journalist.