Tom Hanks is the fourth highest-grossing actor in the United States; his blockbuster hits over the past thirty-five years have made him one of the most popular stars in the industry and most American homes.
He was born in Concord, California, on July 9, 1956, and moved to New York City in 1979 to pursue a career in acting. He loved the theater; however, he only played a few roles on stage before landing a part on television.
While none of his shows made it big in the early 80s, he was noticed by directors and producers for his talent and charisma.
When he appeared as a guest star on the popular show Happy Days, director Ron Howard saw his potential and cast him as the lead in his movie Splash, which became a huge blockbuster hit and essentially launched Hanks’ career.
Most of Hanks’ roles for over a decade were comedic; in 1986, he started to take on more serious roles. Unfortunately, none of his movies at that time experienced a great deal of success.
He then continued to excel in movies such as Sleepless in Seattle and Philadelphia, for which he won an Academy Award for Best Actor.
Hanks’ roles were diverse, and he quickly became the popular choice for comedies, dramas, and romantic films.
Quite possibly, his most well-known movie of all time was Forrest Gump, which came out in 1994 and absolutely solidified Hanks’ standing among some of the most famous actors in the world.
He also won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role as Forrest, making him only the second many in history to win the award consecutively.
Impressively, Hanks’ career continued to grow and his next film, Apollo 13, was equally well-received by critics and fans alike.
Throughout the 90s, Tom Hanks made several incredible films that have been beloved classics for the past thirty years. In 2000, his role in the movie Cast Away won him yet another award for Best Actor, this time from the Golden Globes.
Hanks has continued to make spectacularly popular films and isn’t stopping anytime soon! In fact, he will be playing the role of Elvis’ manager in the much-anticipated biopic set to debut later this year.
Whether you think Tom Hanks is one of the greatest actors of all time or not, most people admit that he has succeeded in a wildly successful career across almost every genre.
The truth is, the megastar has won a plethora of awards in his industry and has acted in over eighty-seven movies!
Tom Hanks’ movies are some of the most well-known films of all time, and there seems to be still more to come.
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