Tom Hanks (Actor) (original) (raw)

Tom Hanks was born on July 9, 1956 in Concord, California. He majored in drama at California State University, and he moved to New York City in the late 1970s where he took a small part in a horror film in 1980. Costarring in Bosom Buddies earned him more attention, and his role in Splash (1984) showcased his comedic abilities. He went on to star in many more films in the 80s like Bachelor Party (1984), Volunteers (1985), The Money Pit (1986), Nothing in Common (1986), Punchline (1988) and more. He earned an Academy Award nomination for portraying a young boy in a grown man’s body in Big (1988), which kicked his career into high gear.

Hanks starred in three romantic comedies alongside actress Meg Ryan — Joe Versus the Volcano (1990), Sleepless in Seattle (1993_)_ and You’ve Got Mail (1998). He then played Jimmy Dugan in Penny Marshall’s 1992 film A League of Their Own alongside Madonna and Geena Davis, and he won his first Oscar for his performance as a gay lawyer in Philadelphia (1993). Hanks has collaborated with director Robert Zemeckis on many a film since Forrest Gump(1994) which won him another Oscar in consecutive Best Actor trophies. He was also nominated for Oscars for Saving Private Ryan (1998) directed by Steven Spielberg and Zemeckis’ Cast Away (2000). Still more roles included Apollo 13 (1995), The Green Mile (1999), Road to Perdition (2002) and voicing Woody in the animated Toy Story films.

More recently, Hanks appeared in Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close (2011), Cloud Atlas (2012), The Post (2017), A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (2019) for which he earned his sixth Oscar nod, Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis (2022) and A Man Called Otto (2023) adapted from Frederik Backman’s best-selling book, A Man Called Ove. Hanks is married to Rita Wilson, whom he met on the set of the sitcom Bosom Buddies. They share sons Chet Hanks and Truman Hanks. Hanks also shares two children with his ex-wife Samantha Lewes: Colin Hanks and Elizabeth Hanks.

Date of Birth

July 9, 1956

Place of Birth

Concord, California

Notable Work

Splash, Big, Sleepless in Seattle, A League of Their Own, Philadelphia, Forrest Gump, Saving Private Ryan, Cast Away, Apollo 13, The Green Mile, Catch Me If You Can, Charlie Wilson’s War, The Da Vinci Code, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, Cloud Atlas, The Polar Express, Saving Mr. Banks, Captain Philips, The Post, Sully, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, Elvis

Notable Awards

2 Academy Awards for Philadelphia and Forrest Gump, 4 other Oscar nominations for Big, Saving Private Ryan, Cast Away, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood