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Tom Hanks.

Thomas Jeffrey Hanks

Tom Hanks — Actor
Born Concord, United States
Citizenship United States
Age 69 yr Today

19 min read

Reading time

3,660

Words

Published

238

Film credits

9

Books

22

Awards

TL;DR

Tom Hanks became only the second actor to win back-to-back Best Actor Oscars, for Philadelphia 1993 and Forrest Gump 1994. His career began with a lead role in the 1984 comedy Splash and was cemented by Big 1988, which earned his first Oscar nomination. He ranks as the third highest-grossing actor in US history as of 2016, with films grossing over $4.3 billion. Hanks received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2016 and the Kennedy Center Honors in 2014.

Identity & family.

KIN · 10

Names, aliases, and relatives of Tom Hanks — birth name, kin, and personal ties.

Birth Name Thomas Jeffrey Hanks
Aliases Tom H., Tomu Hankusu
PARENTS
Janet Marylyn Frager Amos Mefford Hanks
SPOUSES
Rita Wilson Samantha Lewes
CHILDREN
Colin Hanks E. A. Hanks Chet Hanks Truman Hanks
SIBLINGS
Jim Hanks Larry Hanks

At a glance.

STATS

Tom Hanks by the numbers — life, work, and family.

69 Age
238 Film credits
9 Books
22 Awards
2 Marriages
4 Children

Who is Tom Hanks?

BIOGRAPHY

Tom Hanks — early life, career, personal life, and legacy.

Early life

His parents divorced in 1960, and Hanks moved with his father and siblings across ten different homes in five years. Born on July 9, 1956, in Concord, California, to Janet Marylyn Frager, a hospital worker, and Amos Mefford Hanks, an itinerant cook, he had a fractured childhood. His mother’s family was entirely Portuguese; his father was mostly English. With no acting experience in college, he auditioned for a community theater play after failing to get cast in a college production. The director invited him to Cleveland, where his acting career began.

Career

Hanks landed his first lead role in Ron Howard’s Splash 1984, a surprise box office hit that grossed over $69 million. After several flops, his career turned with the comedy Dragnet 1987 and reached a high point with Big 1988, which earned his first Academy Award nomination. In 1993, he starred in two defining films: the romantic comedy Sleepless in Seattle and the drama Philadelphia, playing a gay lawyer with AIDS. He lost 35 pounds for the role and won his first Oscar. The following year, he portrayed Forrest Gump in a blockbuster that grossed over $600 million worldwide, earning him a second consecutive Best Actor Oscar, a feat previously achieved only by Spencer Tracy.

He followed with Apollo 13 1995, playing astronaut Jim Lovell, and voiced Sheriff Woody in Disney/Pixar’s Toy Story 1995. He made his directorial debut with That Thing You Do! 1996. He collaborated with directors like Steven Spielberg Saving Private Ryan, 1998; Bridge of Spies, 2015 and Ron Howard. He has portrayed eight real-life figures, including Captain Richard Phillips 2013 and Fred Rogers 2019.

Personal life

Hanks married actress Samantha Lewes in 1978; they had two children, Colin Hanks born 1977 and Elizabeth Hanks born 1982, before divorcing in 1987. In 1988, he married actress Rita Wilson; they have two sons, Chet born 1990 and Truman born 1995. Hanks and Wilson have starred together in several films, including Sleepless in Seattle and That Thing You Do!. He converted to Eastern Orthodox Christianity before marrying Wilson at Saint Sophia’s Church. Hanks has been diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes 2013 and is an avid collector of typewriters, even developing an iPad app called Hanx Writer in 2014.

Legacy

He is the third highest-grossing actor in US history over $4.3 billion as of 2016 and has appeared in ten Best Picture-nominated films. His back-to-back Best Actor Oscars for Philadelphia and Forrest Gump place him in an elite group with Spencer Tracy. Premiere ranked his performance as Forrest Gump #43 on its 100 Greatest Movie Characters list. He received the AFI Life Achievement Award in 2002, the Kennedy Center Honors in 2014, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2016. Philadelphia and Forrest Gump have been selected for the National Film Registry. Many have referred to him as the modern James Stewart. Hanks remains active in the industry as of 2022.

Filmography.

FILMS · 238

Browse the complete filmography of Tom Hanks — every film, TV show, and documentary credit, ranked by popularity.

  1. TV Poster for The Simpsons

    The Simpsons

  2. TV Poster for The Daily Show

    The Daily Show

  3. TV Poster for Late Night with Seth Meyers

    Late Night with Seth Meyers

  4. TV Poster for The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

    The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

  5. TV Poster for The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson

    The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson

  6. TV Poster for Conan

    Conan

  7. TV Poster for The Graham Norton Show

    The Graham Norton Show

  8. TV Poster for The Kelly Clarkson Show

    The Kelly Clarkson Show

  9. TV Poster for Saturday Night Live

    Saturday Night Live

  10. TV Poster for The Late Late Show with James Corden

    The Late Late Show with James Corden

  11. TV Poster for The Love Boat

    The Love Boat

  12. TV Poster for The Colbert Report

    The Colbert Report

  13. TV Poster for 30 Rock

    30 Rock

  14. TV Poster for Golden Globe Awards

    Golden Globe Awards

Awards & honors.

AWARDS · 19

Every award, honor, and recognition received by Tom Hanks — Grammys, hall-of-fame inductions, civic honors, lifetime achievements.

  • Academy Award for Best Actor
  • Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role
  • Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
  • Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy
  • Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama
  • Theatre World Award
  • Presidential Medal of Freedom
  • Kennedy Center Honors
  • AFI Life Achievement Award
  • Knight of the Legion of Honour
  • Primetime Emmy Award
  • Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award
  • Golden Globe Awards
  • Silver Bear
  • Actor Awards
  • Producers Guild of America Awards
  • honorary doctor of Harvard University
  • Britannia Awards
  • Officer of the Legion of Honour

Bibliography.

BOOKS · 9

Tom Hanks's bibliography — every authored, edited, and co-written book, ranked by edition count.

  1. Cover for Uncommon Type

    Uncommon Type

    by Tom Hanks

  2. Cover for The Making of Another Major Motion Picture Masterpiece

    The Making of Another Major Motion Picture Masterpiece

    by Tom Hanks

  3. Cover for Otra Gran Obra Maestra Del Cine

    Otra Gran Obra Maestra Del Cine

    by Tom Hanks et al.

  4. Cover for Kolekcja Nietypowych Zdarzen

    Kolekcja Nietypowych Zdarzen

    by Tom Hanks

  5. Cover for Kolekcja Nietypowych Zdarzen. Audiobook

    Kolekcja Nietypowych Zdarzen. Audiobook

    by Tom Hanks

  6. Cover for The Sixties

    The Sixties

    by Tom Hanks et al.

  7. Cover for Tipos Singulares

    Tipos Singulares

    by Tom Hanks et al.

Notable quotes.

QUOTES · 19

A wall of memorable lines from Tom Hanks — lyrics, interviews, and off-the-cuff remarks captured over a lifetime.

Did you know?

FACTS · 50

Little-known facts about Tom Hanks — origins, oddities, and behind-the-scenes details from a public life.

You wanted to know.

FAQ · 40

Quick answers to the questions readers ask most about Tom Hanks.

Audited & updated by

Olivia Brooks

Senior Staff Writer & Biography Editor

Olivia has 6 years of experience writing biographical profiles and still approaches every subject like it's the first one. She covers everyone from debut musicians to Hall of Fame athletes to novelists most people have never heard of. She finds something worth reading in all of them. Her drafts tend to come in already clean, which her editor appreciates. She says good writing is just good thinking written down. Hard to argue with that.

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