Tom Hanks is a famous American actor who has managed to win many prestigious film awards during his long career.

 

The two-time Oscar winner is one of Hollywood's most recognizable faces right now. He continues to act in various films, write scripts and engage in production work.

 

Biography of Tom Hanks

 

1. Child of an international family

The baby was born on July 9, 1956, in a medical institution in the American town of Concord, which is located in California. Tom's parents were from two different countries - the UK and Portugal. Father (Amos Mefford Hanks) was an English restaurant worker who moved to the United States. The mother (Janet Marilyn) worked in one of the hospital's departments.

 

2. Divorce of parents

Tom's mom and dad broke up when he was five years old. The three older children (Sandra, Larry, and Tom) went to live with their father, while the youngest (Jim) stayed with their mother. The family often changed their residence; by age 10, Hanks managed to live in 10 different houses. This hurt student achievement. Also, the guy had to find new friends constantly.

 

3. Character

The future idol of millions suffered from shyness in childhood. He had few excellent acquaintances; he often spent time alone. The child rarely rioted and always obeyed adults. Already at a young age, he responsibly treated each assignment.

 

 

4. Favorite hobby

Hanks overcame shyness when he tried to prove himself at one of the school performances. A new hobby captivated the teenager. After graduating, he decides to enter the University of California, where he intensively studies drama and acting.

 

He received his first serious challenge when he was invited to become a member of the annual Shakespeare Festival. The future actor was engaged in stage design, helped with costumes, and installed spotlights. Tom quickly got bored with academic studies; he preferred to spend his free time more interestingly, touring with a small acting troupe.

 

5. Tom Hanks contracted the coronavirus

On March 12, 2020, it became known that actor Tom Hanks and his wife had contracted the coronavirus.

 

Hanks is now 63 and is at risk. The actor is now in Australia, receiving all the necessary medical care.

 

But the huge problem is that the couple was in contact with many people. Tom is with the crew of his new film, and Rita recently sang at the Emporium Hotel in Brisbane and the Sydney Opera House and participated in one of the Australian talk shows.

 

Tom Hanks career

 

6. Early work

The guy moved to New York in 1979 to try his hand at the big cinema. Previously, he managed to apply exclusively for episodic roles in TV shows. His debut work was a motion picture called "He knows how lonely you are," released exactly one year after the move.

 

The young man got his first serious success thanks to filming a romantic fantasy film about the love of a mermaid and a man, "Splash." Over the next few years, Hanks continued to appear in many films, but world recognition came to him only in the late eighties of the last century.

 

7. "Big" breakthrough

In 1988, the movie "Big" debuted in US cinemas. Hanks proved himself as a little boy who magically turned into an adult. Film critics praised Tom's efforts; he was nominated for an Oscar for the first time. Also in his collection appeared the first "Golden Globe."

 

8. Major works

During this period, many filmmakers became interested in the services of a star. He starred in the film "Turner and Hooch," where he played a police detective investigating crimes in tandem with his faithful dog. You can also note his work in the framework of the projects "Zest" and "Sleepless in Seattle."

 

 

9. Oscar-winning movies

 

"Philadelphia."

 

The legal drama Philadelphia, released in 1993, brought Hanks his first Oscar. As part of the film, the man played a truly provocative role. This work has become very atypical for the US in the early nineties because the screenwriters did not dare to make films about the problems associated with homophobia and the fight against AIDS.

 

Tom managed to appear before the audience as a young lawyer who faced blatant discrimination. The specialist was fired because of his sexual orientation and HIV-positive status. The lawyer is trying to defend his position in court to restore justice.

 

The film is based on actual events, and some elements of the plot are borrowed from the life story of the lawyer Jeffrey Bowers. Hanks prepared well for this role, especially for filming; he lost 11 kilograms.

 

"Forrest Gump."

 

The following year, the famous drama Forrest Gump, based on the novel of the same name, debuted on the big screens. As part of the plot, the story of the life of the protagonist Forrest, who suffers from mental retardation, is told. The guy gets into many difficult situations, but thanks to his determination and good nature, he gets out of them with dignity. The hero accomplishes a fantastic military feat and becomes a real hero. Hanks did an excellent job as Gump, for which he received his second Oscar in a row.

 

10. Great talent

Tom is known to the world because of several iconic acting works. He became famous as a film director, screenwriter, producer, and voice actor. For example, Hanks can be heard in the Toy Story animated series (he gave the voice to Sheriff Woody).

 

 

11. Other significant roles

Nearly every Hanks film that hit theaters in the late 1990s ended up with a cult following. The bright diamonds of the cinema were the works "Saving Private Ryan" and "The Green Mile." A special place is occupied by an adventure drama called "Outcast," when, in preparation for filming, a man dropped as much as 22 kilograms! Many movie lovers have been filled with a joint project by Hanks and DiCaprio called Catch Me If You Can.

 

Hanks also played a professor of religious symbology working at Harvard University. He played the role of specialist Robert Langdon in films based on several novels by author Dan Brown.

 

12. Awards and nominations

Hanks is one of the most titled actors of our time. He won almost all the cult awards of world cinema: Oscar (2 nominations and two wins), Golden Globe, Emmy, and US Screen Actors Award. According to the BAFTA, he also remained a step away from receiving a prize several times.

 

In 2016, Tom received the prestigious Medal of Freedom, presented to him by the current President of the United States, Barack Obama. In addition, Hanks is a Chevalier of the Order of the Legion of Honor of France.

 

Personal life of Tom Hanks

 

13. Family, children

Tom's first wife was her university classmate Samantha Lewis. The guy and the girl legalized their relationship in 1978. At this time, the firstborn of the newlyweds was already one year old (currently, Colin Hanks is an actor and producer). After some time, Tom and Samantha had a daughter, Elizabeth. This stage of life was not the most successful for the couple. They experienced some financial difficulties. The problem of lack of money often became the cause of frequent scandals.

 

In 1985, on the set, the man met Rita Wilson. Relations developed rapidly, but Hanks did not dare to break with his ex-wife for a long time. The divorce agreement was finalized in 1987. After a couple of months, the actor decided to marry a second time. The ceremony was held in the Greek style because Rita's ancestors were immigrants from Hellas. Tom also decided to become an Orthodox Christian. Soon the girl gave birth to her husband's two sons.

 

14. Political views

Hanks has always supported the policies of Barack Obama in his interviews and was a supporter of Hillary Clinton in the 2016 elections, criticizing Donald Trump. Tom has repeatedly advocated same-sex marriage legalization and publicly criticized the Mormon Church for its outdated views.

 

15. Entertaining hobby

Tom has an exciting hobby; he loves collecting old typewriters. At the moment, the man has already ordered more than three hundred different units. He recently announced the release of his first book, consisting of seventeen stories, each of which will be printed on a separate typewriter. The star had to write the collection in moments free from filming.

 

 

16. Huge fees

Films in which Hanks took part collected a total of $ 9 billion in revenue at the box office (the third highest figure in history). Starring in "Angels and Demons," the actor managed to earn about 51 million dollars.

 

17. Favorite series

The celebrity is a big fan of Star Trek. The actor has repeatedly stated that he would like to star in one of the episodes of the series. He was even offered the role of Zephram Cochrane, but the man turned it down due to his busy schedule. The star's favorite film is considered to be "Space Odyssey," directed by Stanley Kubrick. He also really liked the Soviet movie The Cranes Are Flying.

 

18. Social networks

The actor's official profile has 5.5 million followers. Here the actor often exposes his photos from his personal life.

 

Quick facts about Tom Hanks

 

19. The actor's height is 183 centimeters, and his weight is about 75 kilograms.

20. Tom loves sports. He constantly does exercises and often attends sporting events in stadiums.

21. Hanks' son Chet suffered from alcohol and drug addiction for a long time. He also sold drugs and got involved with a terrible company. He was helped only by a lengthy rehabilitation in the clinic.

22. The man is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

23. In 1992, a star with his name appeared on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

24. Tom has type 2 diabetes. Now the actor deliberately refuses roles where you need to lose or gain weight.

 

 

25. An asteroid named 12818 is named after the actor.

26. "America's Dad" is the star's famous alias. Almost all of his characters in the movie were goodies.

27. Tom has an almost perfect reputation; he never got into major scandals. The man even gave $25 back to some fans complaining about his film Larry Crown.

28. Hanks often speaks out in support of the environment and owns an electric car.

29. Steven Spielberg lives next door to Tom. Men often communicate and even go to each other's barbecues.

30. The celebrity is not shy about being around ordinary people. He has been repeatedly seen on the New York subway.