Tom Hanks | Inspiring Story of the Successful Hollywood Actor

Tom Hanks is an American actor born on 9 July 1956 in Concord, California. He is one of the most famous and successful actors in the film industry. Tom is known for his epic movies like Forrest Gump, Catch Me If You Can, and The Terminal. He is the fourth highest-grossing actor in North America.

Early Life

Tom Hanks was born on 9 July 1956 in Concord, California. His mother, Janet Marylyn, worked in a hospital, and his father, Amos Mefford Hanks, was a cook. The couple had four children.

In 1960, Tom’s parents divorced, and the eldest three (including Tom) went with their father while the youngest stayed with their mother. He reminisces about moving around a lot till the age of 10, and Tom says that he had lived in 10 different houses.

Tom did his schooling at Skyline High School in Oakland, California and then studied theatre at Chabot College in Hayward, California. 

Career

Tom Hanks is majorly known for his comic and dramatic roles. He moved to New York in 1979 and landed a role in a low-budget film called, He Knows You’re Alone and then in a television movie Mazes and Monsters. 

Tom then starred in a fantasy comedy film Big in 1988. The success of Big earned Tom a tremendous amount of appreciation and made him the new upcoming star of Hollywood. It also earned him his first Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. The success of Big was later followed by Punchline, in which he starred as a struggling comedian.

In 1994, Tom Hanks gave Hollywood another blockbuster known as Forrest Gump. The movie grossed more than $600 million worldwide and became one of the biggest hits in the industry.

Tom played an astronaut in his next project, Apollo 13, in 1995, and he reunited with Ron Howard for the film. Later, in 1960, Tom made his directing debut with That Thing You Do!, a movie about a pop band.

In 2001, Tom appeared in Steven Spielberg’s crime drama Catch Me If You Can alongside Leonardo DiCaprio. The movie was based on the life of Frank Abgnale Jr. 

In 2011, Tom Hanks appeared opposite Julia Roberts in the romantic comedy Larry Crowne. 

Personal Life

Tom Hanks was married to actress Samantha Lewes in 1978. The couple became blessed with a son named Colin in 1977 and a daughter named Elizabeth in 1982. Unfortunately, Tom Hanks and Samantha Lewes went on their separate ways in 1987. Samantha passed away in 2002 due to bone cancer.

Tom first met actress Rita Wilson in 1981 on the set of Bosom Buddies. They fell in love and tied the knot in 1988; Rita Wilson is of Greek and Bulgarian descent, so before marrying her, Tom converted to her faith.

The couple had two sons named Chester Marlon and the younger one named Truman Theodore, born in 1995.

Various Honors Received

Also Read: Ryan Reynolds | Success Story of one of the Highest-Grossing Actor