Tom Hanks, in his usual, emphatic way, was entertainingly nonchalant when he revealed he had type-2 diabetes to David Letterman on the host’s late night chat show.

"I went to the doctor and he said 'You know those high blood sugar numbers you've been dealing with since you were 36? Well, you've graduated. You've got Type 2 diabetes, young man,'" the Captain Phillips star regaled, before lightening the mood. "It's controllable,” he added.

“Something's going to kill us all, Dave. My doctor said 'If you can weigh as much as you weighed in high school you will essentially be completely healthy and will not have Type 2 diabetes. I said 'Well, I'm gonna have Type 2 diabetes because there is no way I can weigh as much as I did in high school.'"

Fans of the actor, who could be in line for an Oscar for his work in the true hostage story, Captain Phillips, needn’t worry. Hanks is right when he says it’s controllable, as Dr Holly Phillips, medical contributor for America's CBS TV network, would agree.

"In dramatic weight gain and dramatic weight loss, the equilibrium of the body is just completely off. So that might predispose him to developing Type 2 diabetes later. He'll have to watch what he eats very closely, he'll need to exercise regularly, but there's no reason he can't live a perfectly normal life."

As well as starring in Captain Phillips, Hanks plays the infamously eccentric and controversial character of Walt Disney in Saving Mr Banks. The film sees him negotiate with P.L Travers, the author of Mary Poppins, played by Emma Thompson, over the movie version of the book.

Captain Phillips will be out on October 11th in the U.S, 18th in the U.K. Saving Mr Banks will hit U.K shores on November 29th, and with gain a full U.S release on December 20th after a limited one on December 13th.

Watch Tom Hanks talk to Letterman.

Tom HanksTom Hanks sports his Walt Disney look at the Tony Awards

Tom Hanks suit
Don't worry fans, Hanks can control his affliction