Tom Hanks is a famous American actor and filmmaker. He is known for his roles in both comedy and drama films and is considered an icon of American culture. His movies have grossed over $9.96 billion worldwide, and he has won several prestigious awards like the AFI Life Achievement Award, the Kennedy Center Honor, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Hanks first gained popularity in comedies like Splash, The Money Pit, Big, and A League of Their Own. He won two Academy Awards for Best Actor in Philadelphia and Forrest Gump. He worked with Steven Spielberg on several films, including Saving Private Ryan and Catch Me If You Can. Hanks has also appeared in romantic comedies like Sleepless in Seattle and dramas like Apollo 13, The Green Mile, A Man Called Otto and Cast Away.

He has acted in several biographical dramas like Charlie Wilson’s War, Captain Phillips, and A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood. Hanks has also worked on television and won seven Primetime Emmy Awards. He was born in Concord, California, to Janet and Amos Hanks. His family moved frequently, and he attended several schools. Hanks studied theater at Chabot College and California State University, Sacramento. He was shy and unpopular in school but acted in school plays.

Life

Hanks was born on July 9, 1956, in Concord, California, to Janet Marylyn and Amos “Bud” Hanks. His mother’s family was Portuguese, and his father’s family had English ancestry. Hanks has two older siblings, Sandra and Larry, and a younger brother, Jim. Hanks’ parents divorced when he was four years old, and he and his siblings moved frequently. By the time he was ten years old, he had lived in ten different houses.

Hanks attended several schools, and his family’s religious background was Catholic and Mormon. He was a “Bible-toting evangelical” in his teenage years. He described himself as a shy and geeky kid who liked to yell funny captions during filmstrips.

In 1965, Hanks’ father married Frances Wong, a San Francisco native of Chinese descent. Frances had three children, and two of them lived with Hanks during his high school years. Hanks attended Skyline High School in Oakland, California, and acted in school plays like South Pacific.

Hanks studied theater at Chabot College in Hayward, California, and later transferred to California State University, Sacramento. He said that acting classes were the best place for him since he liked to be flamboyant and make a lot of noise. He enjoyed going to plays and did not take dates with him.

Hanks gained popularity with his roles in comedies like Splash, The Money Pit, Big, and A League of Their Own. He won two Academy Awards for Best Actor in Philadelphia and Forrest Gump. He also worked with Steven Spielberg on several films, including Saving Private Ryan and Catch Me If You Can. Hanks has acted in romantic comedies like Sleepless in Seattle and dramas like Apollo 13, The Green Mile, and Cast Away. He has also appeared in biographical dramas like Charlie Wilson’s War, Captain Phillips, and A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood.

Apart from films, Hanks has worked on television and won seven Primetime Emmy Awards. He has produced limited series and television movies like From the Earth to the Moon, Band of Brothers, John Adams, The Pacific, Game Change, and Olive Kitteridge. He received a Tony Award nomination for Best Actor in a Play for his role in Nora Ephron’s Lucky Guy in 2013.