Tom Hanks is an American actor and producer born in 1956. Before proving his dramatic depth, he appeared in numerous comedy and family films and later became one of the most respected dramatic actors in cinema history. He is a two-time Academy Award winner and is widely regarded as one of the highest-grossing actors of all time.

Tom Hanks, born Thomas Jeffrey Hanks, came into the world on July 9, 1956, in California, United States. His father, Amos Mefford Hanks (1924–1991), was of English descent, while his mother, Janet Marilyn Frager, worked as a hospital administrator. When Hanks was just five years old, his parents divorced. He had three siblings: Sandra, Jim, and Lawrence. After both parents remarried, Sandra, Lawrence, and Tom lived with their father, while Jim lived with their mother. His stepmother had five children from a previous marriage, creating a very large household. That marriage also ended after two years.

As a child, Hanks was extremely shy and quiet. Though never popular at school, he was responsible and academically successful. In 1965, his father married Frances Wong for the third time. Wong had three children from her previous marriage, and Hanks spent his high school years living with his step-siblings. During his time at Skyline High School, he began performing in school theater productions.

Hanks started studying theater at Chabot College but transferred after two years to California State University, Sacramento. He spent much of his free time attending plays alone, watching works by Bertolt Brecht, Tennessee Williams, and Henrik Ibsen.

While studying theater, he met the director of a theater festival in Cleveland, who offered him an internship. Over the course of three years, Hanks learned every aspect of theater production, from set design to stage management. His performance in Shakespeare’s The Two Gentlemen of Verona earned him the Cleveland Critics Award.

Hanks later moved from Cleveland to New York and joined the Riverside Shakespeare Company. He appeared in the low-budget horror film He Knows You’re Alone and the television movie Mazes and Monsters. In 1979, he auditioned for ABC and was cast in the comedy series Bosom Buddies. The show led director Ron Howard to approach him for a role in Splash. Initially considered for a supporting role, Hanks ultimately landed the lead, and the film became a major box-office success.

The 1988 film Big established Hanks as a genuine Hollywood talent. However, subsequent films such as Turner & Hooch (1989) underperformed, and several poor career choices followed. His fortunes changed dramatically in 1993 with the success of Sleepless in Seattle and Philadelphia. His performance in Philadelphia earned him the Academy Award for Best Actor in 1994.

In the summer of 1994, Forrest Gump became a global phenomenon. The role cemented Hanks’s status as an international star and earned him a second consecutive Academy Award for Best Actor in 1995, making him only the second actor in history to win back-to-back Oscars.

Following Forrest Gump, Hanks starred in Apollo 13 and That Thing You Do!. In 1996, he took on a producer role for the HBO miniseries From the Earth to the Moon, one of the most expensive television projects ever made. He then appeared in Saving Private Ryan, directed by Steven Spielberg, widely regarded as one of the greatest war films ever made. The film earned Spielberg his second Best Director Oscar and brought Hanks another Best Actor nomination.

Hanks continued his successful career with The Green Mile (1999) and collaborated with many acclaimed directors. Films such as Cast Away (2000), The Terminal (2004), and The Da Vinci Code (2006) brought him Golden Globe recognition. His performance in Cast Away earned him another Academy Award nomination.

Between 1978 and 1987, Tom Hanks was married to Samantha Lewes, with whom he had two children, including actor Colin Hanks. In 1988, he married actress Rita Wilson. The couple has two sons: Chester “Chet” Marlon Hanks and Truman Theodore Hanks (b. 1995).

Hanks is the youngest recipient of the American Film Institute’s Life Achievement Award. He is a devoted fan of the Cleveland Indians baseball team and Aston Villa football club. Deeply interested in space exploration, he is a member of the National Space Society. His sister Sandra Hanks Benoiton is a writer, his brother Lawrence Hanks is an entomologist, and Jim Hanks is an actor and producer. He is 1.78 meters tall. His favorite musicians include Elvis Presley, Patrick Rondat, and Alabama Thunderpussy. He has been close friends with Bruce Springsteen since his youth. His favorite film is 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968).

In 2015, Hanks starred in Bridge of Spies, directed by Steven Spielberg and written by the Coen Brothers, alongside Amy Ryan, Sebastian Koch, Michael Gaston, and Alan Alda, portraying a lawyer recruited by the CIA.

In March 2020, while filming in Australia, Tom Hanks and his wife Rita Wilson tested positive for COVID-19 after exposure in a luxury apartment previously occupied by a Chinese tourist.

Awards
2001 – 58th Golden Globe Awards – Best Actor (Drama) – Cast Away
1995 – 52nd Golden Globe Awards – Best Actor – Forrest Gump
1995 – 67th Academy Awards – Best Actor – Forrest Gump
1994 – 66th Academy Awards – Best Actor – Philadelphia
1994 – 44th Berlin International Film Festival – Best Actor – Philadelphia
1994 – 51st Golden Globe Awards – Best Actor – Philadelphia
1989 – 46th Golden Globe Awards – Best Actor (Comedy) – Big

Filmography

Director
2011 – Larry Crowne (Feature Film)
2001 – Band of Brothers (TV Series)
1996 – That Thing You Do! (Feature Film)

Screenwriter
2019 – Greyhound (Feature Film)
2011 – Larry Crowne (Feature Film)
2005 – Magnificent Desolation: Walking on the Moon (Feature Film)
2001 – Band of Brothers (TV Series)
1998 – From the Earth to the Moon (TV Series)
1996 – That Thing You Do! (Feature Film)

Producer
2017 – Mark Felt: The Man Who Brought Down the White House (Feature Film)
2016 – My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 (Feature Film)
2015 – Ithaca (Feature Film)
2014 – Olive Kitteridge (TV Series)
2013 – Parkland (Feature Film)
2012 – Rise of the Guardians (Feature Film)
2010 – The Pacific (TV Series)
2006 – Big Love (TV Series)
2000 – Cast Away (Feature Film)
1998 – From the Earth to the Moon (TV Series)

Actor
2019 – A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (Fred Rogers) (Feature Film)
2018 – Toy Story 4 (Woody – Voice) (Feature Film)
2017 – The Post (Ben Bradlee) (Feature Film)
2016 – Sully (Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger) (Feature Film)
2015 – Bridge of Spies (James Donovan) (Feature Film)
2013 – Captain Phillips (Captain Richard Phillips) (Feature Film)
2009 – Angels & Demons (Robert Langdon) (Feature Film)
2004 – The Terminal (Viktor Navorski) (Feature Film)
2002 – Catch Me If You Can (Carl Hanratty) (Feature Film)
2000 – Cast Away (Chuck Noland) (Feature Film)
1999 – The Green Mile (Paul Edgecomb) (Feature Film)
1998 – Saving Private Ryan (Captain John H. Miller) (Feature Film)
1995 – Apollo 13 (Jim Lovell) (Feature Film)
1994 – Forrest Gump (Forrest Gump) (Feature Film)
1993 – Philadelphia (Andrew Beckett) (Feature Film)
1988 – Big (Josh Baskin) (Feature Film)

Source: Biyografiler.com