Tom Hanks
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Biography
Almost in spite of his inauspicious beginnings, actor and perennial nice guy Tom Hanks rose from the star of the cult comedy series "Bosom Buddies" (ABC, 1980-82) to become a respected Academy Award-winning actor and Emmy-winning producer. Hanks made his name with a touching performance in "Big" (1988), opening the doors to eventual back-to-back Oscar glory with "Philadelphia" (1993) and "Forrest Gump" (1994). He became one of Hollywood's most bankable stars with the romantic comedy "Sleepless in Seattle" (1993) and Ron Howard's harrowing drama "Apollo 13" (1995). Hanks also gave voice to the cowboy Woody in "Toy Story" (1995) and its two highly-successful sequels, before giving an Oscar-nominated turn in Steven Spielberg's "Saving Private Ryan" (1998). The actors' love of space exploration and World War II resulted in the production of a number of acclaimed cable miniseries such as "From Earth to the Moon" (HBO, 1998) and "Band of Brothers" (HBO, 2001). Not one to rest on his laurels, Hanks continued making quality work while challenging the everyman persona he had developed, taking on roles as an autocratic company man in "Cast Away" (2000) and a mob hit man in "Road to Perdition" (2002), while making international blockbusters like the Dan Brown adaptation "The Da Vinci Code" (2006) and its sequels, which reaffirmed his place as one of the most respected actors of the century. Aging gracefully into his 60s, Hanks brought a convincing gravitas to later films like Spielberg's Cold War espionage drama "Bridge of Spies" (2015) and Clint Eastwood's "Sully" (2016), a biopic of real-life aviation hero Captain Chesley Sullenberger.
Born on July 9, 1956 in Concord, CA, Hanks was raised by Amos, a cook and restaurant manager, and Janet, a hospital worker. In 1960, his father took him and his siblings to Reno, NV to start a new life, later divorcing Janet. After his second marriage failed, his father picked up the family and settled in Oakland, CA, where Hanks spent his formative years. Growing up an unhappy and often confused child, Hanks sought stability wherever he could find it. With the encouragement of high school drama teacher Rawley Farnsworth - whom he would famously thank after winning his first Oscar in 1994 - Hanks dove headfirst into the craft, performing as cross-dresser Luther Billis in a production of "South Pacific." After graduating, he attended Chabot Community College, leaving after a year to become a theater major at California State University at Sacramento in 1976.
The summer after his first year at CSU, Hanks interned at the Great Lakes Shakespeare Festival in Cleveland, OH. He quit school once again in order to spend the next two summers with the festival under the guidance of famed Irish director Vincent Dowling, earning acclaim for his performances in "The Taming of the Shrew" and "The Two Gentlemen of Verona." In 1978, Hanks sold his Volkswagen Beetle and used the money to move to New York City in order to pursue his dream of performing on Broadway. Success on the Great White Way remained elusive, however, though Hanks did manage to break into features with a small role in the low-budget horror flick "He Knows You're Alone" (1980). Fortunately his next part cinched the deal. Hanks gained widespread exposure with a starring role in the short-lived cult sitcom "Bosom Buddies," playing an advertising executive who moves into a low-rent, female-only hotel with his buddy (Peter Scolari) on the condition that they both dress like women. Though only on for two years, it was remembered fondly by Generation Xers. Something about the silly show resonated, and unlike other stars who conveniently forgot their humble beginnings, Hanks was more than happy to discuss "Bosom Buddies" in interviews years later. He also remained close friends with Scolari, despite the differences in their respective career trajectories.
After "Bosom Buddies" left the air, Hanks made a guest appearance on a 1982 episode of "Happy Days" (ABC/CBS, 1973-1984) that impressed cast member Ron Howard enough to cast him as lead in "Splash" (1984), a comic fantasy about a boyishly charming produce vendor who falls in love with an actual mermaid (Daryl Hannah). Proving a likable and engaging screen presence, Hanks seemed assured of becoming successful in romantic comedies. He obliterated that notion with a braod turn in the raucous sex comedy "Bachelor Party" (1984), then appeared in a string of box office duds that would have ended a less resilient actor's career including "The Man with One Red Shoe" (1984), "The Money Pit" (1986) and a comic reboot of cop series "Dragnet" (1987) opposite Dan Aykroyd. Of this early period, only "Nothing in Common" (1986), a sentimental comedy depicting Hanks as a selfish workaholic who forges a bond with his ailing father (Jackie Gleason in his last screen appearance), gained the actor any critical praise.
But in 1988, Hanks experienced a turning point with two parts that demonstrated his versatility for the first time. In "Punchline" (1998), he delivered a strong turn as a brash stand-up comedian who first mentors, then competes against a rising female comic (Sally Field). He then followed by displaying his winning charms as a 12-year-old boy trapped in the body of a 35-year-old man in "Big" (1988), a huge comedy hit from then-budding director Penny Marshall for which Hanks was honored with his first of several Academy Award nominations for Best Actor. After the police comedy "Turner & Hooch" (1989), Hanks starred in the quirky romantic comedy "Joe Versus the Volcano" (1990), and a critically-derided adaptation of Tom Wolfe's best seller "Bonfire of the Vanities" (1990). Just when "Big" had seemed to open new doors, Hanks was back where he was before.
Hanks reportedly lobbied Penny Marshall for the lead in "A League of Their Own" (1992), the director's look at the first all-female baseball league, which was formed during World War II. Hanks sought out the role of Jimmy Dugan, a washed up drunk and former player who rediscovers his joy of the game through managing a winning team. Hanks found his stride once again, scoring another hit when he reunited with "Joe vs. the Volcano" co-star Meg Ryan in Nora Ephron's paean to romance films, "Sleepless in Seattle" (1993). For his touching portrayal, Hanks was nominated for a Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy Golden Globe.
The actor vaulted into uncharted territory with his Oscar-winning performance in "Philadelphia" (1993), playing a gay lawyer who is dying of AIDS while trying to win a discrimination suit after getting fired. Despite the film being denounced by activists for being too soft on the issue, Hanks was nonetheless universally praised for a nuanced performance. After his win at the Academy Awards, Hanks was anointed "the nicest guy in show business" and "the new Jimmy Stewart" because of his stalwart persona. His next film, "Forrest Gump" (1994), saw Hanks play a man who leads an extraordinary life taking part in many of the defining moments of the '60s, '70s and '80s despite having an I.Q. of 75. The film became part of the cultural zeitgeist, making "Gump" the year's highest-grossing film on its way to picking up six Academy Awards, including Hanks' second consecutive win for Best Actor.
Hanks tried for his third straight Academy Award win when he reunited with "Splash" director Ron Howard for "Apollo 13" (1995), a tense look at the famed ill-fated 1970 NASA mission to the moon. Playing real-life astronaut Jim Lovell - allegedly slated for Kevin Costner - Hanks delivered a rock steady performance as the commander trying to bring his crew back to Earth safely. Though nominated, Hanks missed out on winning a third Oscar for Best Actor. Hanks next gave voice to Woody, a cowboy whose status as top toy of a young boy is threatened by the razzle-dazzle of Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen) in "Toy Story" (1995), the first full-length computer animated feature. Thanks to his A-list status, Hanks had the chance to flex other creative muscles, branching out into screenwriting, producing and directing. He made his directorial debut with "That Thing You Do!" (1996), a sixties-era comedy/drama about a band that hits Beatles-like success off of one single. While not a blockbuster, the film demonstrated Hanks' flair for eliciting strong performances from a cast of relative unknowns.
Hanks further enhanced his resume after wearing several hats on his dream project, "From the Earth to the Moon" (HBO, 1998), a 12-part series that examined the history of the U.S. space program. In addition to serving as executive producer on the series, Hanks directed the first segment and wrote four subsequent episodes, sharing the 1998 Emmy Award for Outstanding Miniseries with co-producers Ron Howard and Brian Grazer. After nearly two years of being absent from the big screen, Hanks was cast by Steven Spielberg for his highly praised World War II epic, "Saving Private Ryan" (1998), playing an army captain leading a ragtag team of soldiers on a mission to locate a missing G.I. (Matt Damon) behind enemy lines. As Miller, the actor traded on his good guy persona, but colored the performance with hints of a dark side, earning his fourth Academy Award nomination for Best Actor.
Later that same year, he channeled the ghost of James Stewart when he co-starred a third time opposite Meg Ryan in Nora Ephron's "You've Got Mail" (1998), an updating of the 1940 Stewart-Margaret Sullavan classic "The Shop Around the Corner" (1940). Hanks next reunited with "Private Ryan" cohort Barry Pepper to play prison guards who become involved with a mysterious prisoner (Michael Clarke Duncan) in "The Green Mile" (1999), an adaptation of the Stephen King novel. Further stretching his acting muscles, he collaborated again with "Forrest Gump" director Robert Zemeckis on "Cast Away" (2000), taking the unusual step of interrupting filming to drop the large amount of weight he gained to play an autocratic Federal Express troubleshooter who gets trapped on a deserted island after a plane crash. His bravura performance - for nearly a third of the film Hanks was onscreen alone - brought him renewed critical acclaim and his fifth nomination for Best Actor.
After his experience portraying a veteran in "Saving Private Ryan," Hanks became active in the creation of a memorial to the men and women who fought during WWII. Both he and Spielberg joined forces to executive produce the HBO miniseries, "Band of Brothers" (2001), adapted from historian Stephen Ambrose's book, which followed the soldiers in the 506th Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division from their training in Georgia in 1942 through their participation in the invasion of Normandy. Hanks additionally directed one episode of the miniseries, for which he earned an Emmy for Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Dramatic Special. The actor then took on an atypical role, portraying a 1920s Chicago gangster seeking revenge for the death of family members in "The Road to Perdition" (2002). Though Sam Mendes' film prompted mixed critical responses, Hanks' efforts were roundly praised.
His next film, "Catch Me If You Can" (2002), reunited him with Spielberg who cast him as Carl Hanratty, a real-life FBI fraud investigator hot on the trail of the youngest con artist ever to make the Most Wanted list, Frank Abagnale, Jr. (Leonardo DiCaprio). Meanwhile, Hanks the movie producer scored mega-success with the unexpectedly popular comedy "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" (2002), which Hanks' part-Greek wife Rita Wilson had discovered when it was a one-woman show created by Nia Vardalos. Hanks' next trick was a return to his wacky comedic roots - indeed, even quirkier territory than he had plumbed before - in the Coen Brothers' remake of the cult classic British film, "The Ladykillers" (2004).
The actor reunited with Spielberg yet again for "The Terminal" (2004), playing an Eastern European immigrant Viktor Navorski, who becomes stranded in a New York City airport terminal because of a quirk in international politics and passport law. He subsequently takes up residence and becomes involved with many of the terminal's temporary inhabitants, including a beautiful flight attendant (Catherine Zeta-Jones). Despite a strong performance and smart direction, "The Terminal" ultimately suffered from an obvious sentimental ending. Hanks teamed up again with Robert Zemeckis to appear as multiple characters in the ambitious CGI-animated adaptation of the popular children's story, "The Polar Express" (2004). Using groundbreaking performance capture technology to digitally morph his physical performances, Hanks was projected onscreen in various forms, playing The Conductor, Hero Boy, Santa Claus, the Hobo and the Boy's Father, which were subsequently woven seamlessly into the film's computer generated environments.
Hanks returned to his love of outer space to narrate the short IMAX film, "Magnificent Desolation: Walking on the Moon 3D" (2005). The film showcased past, present and future space explorations, as audiences experienced the moon's surface as if they were Apollo astronauts. Returning to dramatic fare, he starred in "The Da Vinci Code" (2006), the long-anticipated adaptation of Dan Brown's monumental bestseller about a murder at the Louvre investigated by a famed symbologist, who unravels a sinister plot to keep a secret that has been protected since the time of Christ. Though on paper a huge success, taking in $200 million in domestic box office, "The Da Vinci Code" was panned by most critics for failing to live up to expectations.
After providing voice cameos for "Cars" (2006) and "The Simpsons Movie" (2007), he helped narrate "The War" (PBS, 2007-08), Ken Burns' comprehensive look at ordinary Americans fighting in World War II. Hanks then starred in the critically-acclaimed political satire, "Charlie Wilson's War" (2007), adapted by Aaron Sorkin from George Crile's non-fiction best-seller. Once again, Hanks found himself being showered with praise for another strong performance, earning a Golden Globe nomination for Best Performance by an Actor in a Musical or Comedy as well as the requisite Oscar buzz. Turning back to the role of producer, he helped bring to life the much-acclaimed seven-part miniseries, "John Adams" (HBO, 2008), which starred Paul Giamatti as the American Revolutionary leader and second President of the United States. The epic series won just about every major award possible, including 13 Emmys, four Golden Globes and the Humanitas Prize.
In 2009, Hanks won the Producers Guild of America Award for Producer of the Year - Longform Television. After executive producing the film adaptation of the West End musical "Mamma Mia!" (2008) with his wife, Hanks co-starred with son Colin Hanks in "The Great Buck Howard" (2009), a comedy about a young aspiring magician who becomes an assistant to a renowned illusionist against his father's wishes. Meanwhile, he reprised the role of Professor Robert Langdon for the successful adaptation of Dan Brown's "Angels & Demons" (2009), after which he went back to producing with director Spike Jonze's take on "Where the Wild Things Are" (2009). Returning to his fascination for World War II, Hanks rejoined "Band of Brothers" cohort Steven Spielberg for "The Pacific" (HBO, 2010), a true-to-life fictionalization of the war between Japan and the U.S. in the Pacific theater, as told though the intertwining stories of three U.S. Marines (Joseph Mazzello, James Badge Dale and Jon Seda) who fight their way through the blood-soaked beaches of Guadalcanal, Iwo Jima and Okinawa. After reprising Woody for "Toy Story 3" (2010) and starring opposite Julia Roberts in the poorly received romantic comedy "Larry Crowne" (2011), which he directed, Hanks appeared as a father whose son tried to unlock his secrets following his death on 9/11 in the acclaimed drama "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" (2011). Slipping back into producing mode, Hanks was executive producer on "Game Change" (HBO, 2012), an inside look at the 2008 presidential campaign starring Woody Harrelson, Julianne Moore), and Ed Harris. The series won Emmys for Moore, director Jay Roach and Outstanding Miniseries or Movie, for which Hanks delivered a typically effusive acceptance speech.
Later in 2012, Hanks unveiled a web series that he produced and created, the animated sci-fi show "Electric City," which also featured him as a voice actor. That fall he starred with Halle Berry and an impressive ensemble cast in "Cloud Atlas," an expansive time-hopping literary adaptation that found him playing six different roles. Continuing to voice Woody in a variety of "Toy Story" shorts, including the TV special "Toy Story of Terror" (ABC, 2013), Hanks won accolades for his turn as a real-life merchant mariner under siege at sea in the tense Paul Greengrass drama "Captain Phillips" (2013) and as Walt Disney in "Saving Mr. Banks" (2013), a tale of the making of "Mary Poppins" (1964).
Reteaming with Spielberg, Hanks starred in Cold War espionage drama "Bridge of Spies" (2015), based on the early '60s U2 Incident in which American pilot Francis Gary Powers was captured by the Soviets during a spy flight. Hanks co-starred in and executive produced "Ithaca" (2015), a small-scale film based on William Saroyan's The Human Comedy, and starred in a little-seen adaptation of a Dave Eggers novel, A Hologram for the King. Hanks' next two films were the Clint Eastwood drama "Sully" (2016), the true story of "Miracle on the Hudson" pilot Captain Chesley Sullenberger, and "Inferno" (2016), his third teaming with Ron Howard on one of Dan Brown's Robert Langdon mysteries.
Filmography
Director (Feature Film)
Cast (Feature Film)
Writer (Feature Film)
Producer (Feature Film)
Music (Feature Film)
Special Thanks (Feature Film)
Misc. Crew (Feature Film)
Director (Special)
Cast (Special)
Producer (Special)
Cast (TV Mini-Series)
Writer (TV Mini-Series)
Producer (TV Mini-Series)
Misc. Crew (TV Mini-Series)
Life Events
1978
Made professional debut as Grumio in "The Taming of the Shrew" at the Riverside Theater in Cleveland, OH
1980
Made film acting debut, "He Knows You're Alone"; reportedly paid only $800
1980
Co-starred on the short-lived cult ABC sitcom "Bosom Buddies"; played an advertising trainee who pretended to be a woman in order to live cheaply at a women-only hotel
1982
Made first TV-movie, Rona Jaffe's "Mazes and Monsters" (CBS)
1982
Made guest appearance on ABC's "Happy Days"; first met Ron Howard
1983
Landed recurring role as Uncle Ned on the NBC sitcom "Family Ties"
1984
Landed breakthrough leading role in a feature film, "Splash"; directed by Ron Howard
1986
Offered a change of pace performance as a workaholic advertising executive who tries to reconcile with his ill father (Jackie Gleason) in "Nothing in Common"
1988
Delivered a strong turn as a bitter stand-up comic in "Punchline"; co-starred opposite Sally Field
1988
Earned first Best Actor Academy Award nomination for "Big"; directed by Penny Marshall
1990
Had first screen pairing with Meg Ryan (who had multiple roles) in the comedy "Joe Versus the Volcano"
1990
Starred as Sherman McCoy in Brian De Palma's ill-fated screen version of "The Bonfire of the Vanities"
1992
Made TV directorial debut, "None But the Lonely Heart" episode of HBO's "Tales From the Crypt" series
1992
Rejuvenated career after a string of box-office disappointments playing the boozy baseball coach in "A League of Their Own"; second collaboration with Penny Marshall as director
1993
Directed and acted in "I'll Be Waiting," a segment of the Showtime series "Fallen Angels"
1993
With Gary Goetzman, formed the production company Clavius Base
1993
Portrayed a gay lawyer with AIDS who sues his law firm for wrongful termination in "Philadelphia"
1993
Played romantic lead opposite Ryan in the Nora Ephron-directed "Sleepless in Seattle"
1994
Starred in "Forrest Gump" as a slow-witted Southerner who lives an extraordinary life; first collaboration with director Robert Zemeckis
1995
Portrayed real-life astronaut James Lovell in "Apollo 13"; directed by Howard
1995
Voiced the cowboy Woody in the computer-animated feature "Toy Story"
1996
Feature screenwrting and directing debut, "That Thing You Do!"; also played featured role of the band's manager amd wrote songs included in the film
1998
Co-executive produced the 13-part HBO series "From the Earth to the Moon" about the NASA space program; also acted in, scripted and directed episodes; co-produced with Ron Howard, Brian Grazer and others
1998
Headlined the Steven Spielberg-directed "Saving Private Ryan," playing a captain leading a team of soldiers in search of a missing soldier; garnered Best Actor Academy Award nomination
1998
Third teaming with Meg Ryan, the romantic comedy "You've Got Mail"; directed by Nora Ephron; a loose remake of "The Shop Around the Corner" (1940)
1999
Starred as a prison guard in the period drama "The Green Mile," adapted from Stephen King's novel
1999
Reprised voice of Woody in "Toy Story 2"; originally planned as a direct-to-video release, film received a theatrical distribution
2000
Co-starred with Helen Hunt in "Cast Away", directed by Zemeckis; played a man stranded on a deserted island; production was halted to allow Hanks to lose an appropriate amount of weight to reflect the character's emaciation
2001
With Spielberg, produced the HBO WWII-themed miniseries "Band of Brothers"; also scripted and directed episodes
2002
Co-starred with Paul Newman in "The Road to Perdition"
2002
Collaborated again with director Spielberg for "Catch Me if You Can," playing the FBI agent pursuing Leonardo DiCaprio
2004
Cast as the voice of The Conductor/Hero Boy in the animated film "Polar Express," directed and screenplay by Robert Zemeckis
2004
Starred as a southern professor who puts together a group of thieves to rob a casino in the remake of "The Ladykillers"; helmed by Joel and Ethan Coen
2004
Starred in the romantic comedy "The Terminal" as Viktor Navorski, an immigrant who becomes a resident of a New York airport terminal; directed by Steven Spielberg and co-starred Catherine Zeta-Jones
2006
Re-teamed with director Ron Howard to portray professor Robert Langdon in the film adaptation of "The Da Vinci Code," based on Dan Brown's controversial bestseller
2007
Portrayed the titular Democratic Texas congressman "Charlie Wilson's War," directed by Mike Nichols, written by Aaron Sorkin, and co-starring Julia Roberts; earned a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy
2008
Executive produced (with wife Rita Wilson) the film adaptation of the West End stage musical "Mamma Mia!"
2008
Co-starred with son Colin in "The Great Buck Howard," a comedy about a young aspiring magician (Colin) who becomes the assistant to a renowned illusionist against his father's wishes
2008
Executive produced the HBO original movie "John Adams"
2009
Produced the live-action adaptation of Maurice Sendak's children's book <i>Where the Wild Things Are</i>, directed by Spike Jonze
2009
Re-teamed with Howard to play professor Robert Langdon in "Angels & Demons," the film adaptation of Dan Brown's novel and sequel to "The Da Vinci Code"
2010
Re-teamed with Steven Spielberg to executive produce HBO's 10-part miniseries "The Pacific," which earned an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Miniseries
2010
Reprised voice of Woody in the animated feature "Toy Story 3"
2011
Co-wrote, directed and starred in "Larry Crowne"
2011
Co-starred with Sandra Bullock and newcomer Thomas Horn in 9/11 drama "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close," based on Jonathan Safran Foer's 2005 novel
2012
Announced to make Broadway debut in "Lucky Guy," a play written by the late Nora Ephron
2012
Played multiple roles in "Cloud Atlas," based on David Mitchell's 2004 novel; film co-directed by Andy Wachowski, Lana Wachowski, and Tom Tykwer
2013
Reprised Woody in the TV special "Toy Story of Terror"
2013
Played the title role in the real-life drama "Captain Phillips"
2013
Starred as Walt Disney in "Saving Mr. Banks," about the production of "Mary Poppins"
2014
Executive produced the CNN docuseries "The Sixties"
2014
Executive produced HBO's Emmy-winning mini-series "Olive Kitteridge"
2015
Starred in Steven Spielberg's historical drama "Bridge of Spies"
2016
Reprised Robert Langdon role in "Inferno"
2016
Played the heroic flight captain Chesley 'Sully' Sullenberger in the biographical film "Sully"
2017
Co-starred with Emma Watson in "The Circle"
2017
Reprised his bizarre SNL character, David S. Pumpkins, in the animated "The David S. Pumpkins Halloween Special"
2017
Co-starred as Washington Post executive editor Ben Bradlee in Stephen Spielberg's newspaper drama "The Post"
2019
Returned for "Toy Story 4"
2019
Played Fred Rogers in the biopic "A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood"
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