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Two-time Oscar-winning actor and cultural icon
He became the second actor in Oscar history to win back-to-back Best Actor awards for Philadelphia and Forrest Gump in 1994 and 1995.
Thomas Jeffrey Hanks was born on July 9, 1956, in Concord, California. He stands 6 feet tall and ranks as the fourth-highest-grossing American film actor, earning two consecutive Academy Awards for Best Actor for Philadelphia (1993) and Forrest Gump (1994). Known for both comedic and dramatic roles, he is regarded as an American cultural icon with seven Emmy Awards, four Golden Globes, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and the AFI Life Achievement Award among his honors.
Hanks studied theater at Chabot College and California State University Sacramento, where he performed in plays including South Pacific at Skyline High School in Oakland. He dropped out of college to intern at the Great Lakes Theater Festival in Cleveland, winning the Cleveland Critics Circle Award for Best Actor in 1978 for his performance in The Two Gentlemen of Verona. His film debut came in He Knows You're Alone (1980) before landing his breakthrough role in Splash (1984) at age 27, followed by Big (1988) filmed when he was 31, which earned him his first Oscar nomination.
Hanks married actress Rita Wilson in 1988 after his first marriage ended in divorce in 1987. He has four children: Colin and Elizabeth from his first marriage to Samantha Lewes, and Chester and Truman with Rita Wilson. The family maintains homes in Los Angeles and is known for their close-knit relationships, with Colin and Elizabeth both pursuing acting careers.
He stands exactly 6 feet (183 cm) tall and was born under the Cancer zodiac sign.
He was 31 years old during filming of Big in 1987, and 37 years old during Forrest Gump filming in 1993.
He voiced Sheriff Woody in all five Toy Story films from 1995 to 2026.
He is a distant cousin of President Abraham Lincoln through his father's line and portrayed Lincoln's contemporary Fred Rogers in A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood.
He has hosted Saturday Night Live ten times and received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2016.
Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get.
If it wasn't hard, everyone would do it. It's the hard that makes it great.
I was a geek, a spaz. I was horribly, painfully, terribly shy. At the same time, I was the guy who'd yell out funny captions during filmstrips.
Made film debut in He Knows You're Alone at age 24
Achieved breakthrough role in Splash directed by Ron Howard at age 27
Earned first Oscar nomination for Big at age 31, winning Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Comedy
Won first Academy Award for Best Actor in Philadelphia at age 37
Won second consecutive Oscar for Forrest Gump at age 38, becoming second actor ever to achieve back-to-back wins
Starred in Saving Private Ryan directed by Steven Spielberg at age 41, earning another Oscar nomination
Won Golden Globe for Cast Away at age 43, receiving fourth Oscar nomination
Received AFI Life Achievement Award at age 45
Awarded Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama at age 60
Received Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award at age 63