Thomas Jeffrey Hanks a.k.a Tom Hanks is an Award-winning actor, director, and producer, known for acting in films like Splash (1984), Philadelphia (1993), Forrest Gump (1994), Apollo 13 (1995), Saving Private Ryan(1998), You`ve Got Mail (1998), The Green Mile (1999), Cast Away (2000), The Da Vinci Code (2006), and Saving Mr. Banks (2013). The award-winning actor has also given his voice for the animated films Toy Story and The Polar Express. In 2002, Hanks was honored with the American Film Institute`s Lifetime Achievement Award for his work in the film Saving Private Ryan and in 1999, he was felicitated with the Distinguished Public Service Award, the U. S. Navy`s highest civilian honor, on Veterans Day.

Early Life
Tom Hanks was born in Concord, California, to Janet Marylyn, a hospital worker and Amos Mefford Hanks, an itinerant cook. His parents got divorced when Hanks was very young and thus the actor grew up in a troubled environment with a lot of moving around and living with a succession of step-families. For his education, he attended Skyline High School in Oakland, California and later went to Chabot College in Hayward, California and California State University, Sacramento.

Personal Life
Hanks married his college sweetheart Samantha Lewes (Susan Jane Dillingham) in 1978 when he was just 21 years old. The couple had their first born Colin Hanks, two months before they got married. They also have a daughter, Elizabeth Hanks. After 9 years of marriage, the couple split up in 1987. Hanks then married actress Rita Wilson the following year. They have two children, Chester Marlon Hank, born in 1990 and Truman Theodore Hank, born in 1995.

Movie Career
Tom Hanks, started his career with the Great Lakes Shakespeare Festival in Lakewood Ohio, where he was recruited for the summer session. After a period of three years of acting in various Shakespearean plays and working backstage at a community theater company in Sacramento, he moved to New York City and started auditioning there. In 1980, he then landed a small role in the film He Knows You`re Alone. The same year he appeared in the television sitcom Bosom Buddies as Kip Wilson, the protagonist along with actor Peter Scolari. The series ran for a span of three years and was met with great reviews. Hanks` noticeable break came with the Ron Howard directed fantasy romantic comedy film Splash, where hanks played the character of a man who falls in love with a mermaid. Hanks was initially considered for a supporting part in the film, but when Howard had him read for the part, he was eventually cast as the lead in the film. Following this, he appeared in various films like The Man With One Red Shoe (1985), Volunteers (1985), The Money Pit (1986) and Dragnet (1987). While the films did not fare well at the box office, Hanks` performances were noted well among the critics and remembered by the audience. His notable success came with Penny Marshall`s Big, wherein a teenage boy transforms overnight upon a wish into a middle-aged adult. His performance was well appreciated by the critics and audience alike and earned him his first nomination for Academy Award for best actor.

Eventually, he was seen in films like Turner and Hooch, Punchline, Joe Versus the Volcano and Bonfire of the Vanities. In 1993, he appeared in two films, Nora Ephron directed- Sleepless in Seattle and Jonathan Demme`s Philadelphia. The year turned out to be a huge success for Tom with these box office hits and he won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of the character Andrew Beckett, a lawyer who gets fired from his firm as he has AIDS, in the film Philadelphia.

The following year, he was seen in Robert Zemeckis directed comedy-drama, Forrest Gump. Playing the protagonist in the film, tom earned huge appreciation for his work. Hanks won the Academy Award for Best Actor, Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture - Drama, and many more for the same. His next role was of astronaut Jim Lovell, in the 1995 film Apollo 13. Directed by Ron Howard, the film was a box office hit and gained revenue of over 500 million USD.

In 1996, Tom made his directorial and screenwriting debut with That Thing You Do!. The musical romantic comedy was an average performer at the box office. He then produced, directed, wrote and acted, in a few episodes in the HBO miniseries From the Earth to the Moon in 1998. The same year he was starred in Steven Spielberg directed- Saving Private Ryan. The film was a phenomenal success at the box office and with the audience and won various awards. He continued showing his versatility with giving his voice for the character Woody Allen in the film Toy Story and Tim Allen in Toy Story 2. Both the films became a box office hits.

He was next seen in Robert Zemeckis film Cast Away in 2000. Tom underwent a transformation by losing over 55 pounds to play the protagonist in the film. Co-starring Helen Hunt, the film earned critical acclaim and tom received the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture - Drama for his performance. Tom also produced films like My Big Fat Greek Wedding, Magnificent Desolation, and Evan Almighty.

In 2004, he was seen in the Steven Spielberg`s drama film The Terminal and the animated film The Polar Express. Both the films got critical praise and were well received by the audience. Hanks was next seen with co-star Audrey Tatou in The Da Vinci Code. The 2006 film, based on the bestselling novel by Dan Brown earned great reviews and was coined a box office success with revenue of over 750 million USD.

Later, he appeared in Angels & Demons, a sequel to The Da Vinci Code. He also gave his voice for the TV miniseries The Pacific and the animated film Toy Story 3. The actor made his Broadway debut in 2013 with the production Lucky Guy. The same year he was seen in biographical thriller film Captain Phillips and the period drama film Saving Mr. Banks. Both the films received appreciation from the critics and were well received by the audience.

His 2016 releases include Clint Eastwood`s Sully, Ron Howard`s Inferno and the science fiction drama The Circle. His other projects include The Post (2017), Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again (2018), A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (2019), Greyhound (2020) and The News of the World (2020). .