Just about everyone knows Tom Hanks. He is one of the most incredible actors of all time, and he’s one of the few that continues to grace screens for many generations. Recently, he’s become eligible to receive one of the most prestigious acting honors in the industry, the Golden Globe’s Lifetime Achievement Award. Tom Hanks has been a lead actor in several hit movies, going all the way back to the 80s. These films have changed and inspired the lives of millions around the world. Let’s take a closer look at Tom Hank’s life and career and celebrate all of the fantastic moments he’s given us.
Hanks was born in California in 1956. He had a difficult upbringing since his parents divorced when he was only five-years-old. Tom would move around quite a bit until he was ready to begin high school. He would then settle in Oakland, California, for a while. After he graduated from high school, Hanks attended junior college. It was during his college years that he realized his passion for acting. He started out taking part in background roles and decided one day to risk it all by dropping out of college to pursue his dream of becoming an actor.
Hanks would move to New York City to pursue his acting goals. He was able to get a few small roles in a couple of movies in the 80s. But, his big break came when he got the lead role in a film called “Splash.” The film was about a young man who falls madly in love with a girl who turns out to be a mermaid.
The young actor would go on to play the lead role in another smash hit movie called “Big.” The film was about a 13-year-old boy who one day wakes up to find himself in an adult man’s body. The movie might seem a bit strange to some today, but it continues to be one of his biggest classics to this day and it also earned him his first Oscar nomination. As the years went by, Tom Hanks only continued proving his talent in Hollywood. After “Big,” Hanks would go on to star in smaller roles until he got the lead role in what many consider to be the best romantic comedy of all time, “Sleepless in Seatle.”
But out of all of his iconic roles, there is one that tends to stand out more than others —his title role in the 1994 movie “Forest Gump.” The film followed a man named Forest Gump who experienced many of the most significant changes in recent world history first hand such as the Vietnam War, the Watergate scandal, AIDs, etc. After the movie’s massive success, Hanks won his second Oscar for his role in the film.
Hanks would go on to star even more hit films such as Saving Private Ryan and Apollo 13. He’s also done voice-over work for Disney, voicing the popular character Woody in Toy Story 1-4.
Now the 63-year-old actor is considered Hollywood royalty, but so far, he’s shown no signs of slowing down. He’s recently finished a biopic about the life of Mr. Rogers which has been met with critical praise. We expect that Tom Hanks will continue making several more hits for years to come.
They may have to end up having to rename the Lifetime Achievement Award in his honor.
