Tom Hanks: The Award Winning Actor

Tom Hanks has won two Academy Awards, an Oscar for directing, a voice over artist, and producer. Tom Hanks didn't gain his notoriety until his roles in Apollo13 and Philadelphia.

Tom started his acting career with the Riverside Shakespeare Company located in New York City in 1979. Tom Hanks debut roll on the big screen was in a low budget, B rated movie named He Knows You're Alone.

Tom Hanks landed a co-starring role with Peter Scolari in the television sitcom in 1980 called Bosom Buddies. Bosom Buddies ran on air for two years before being cancelled in 1982.

Tom Hanks met Ron Howard during the taping of a Happy Days segment,A Case of Revenge. Ron Howard later contacted Tom about a movie he was producing, Splash in 1984. While originally, Hanks was going to be cast as the wise cracking brother, later played by John Candy. By the time the casting of the movie was done, Tom Hanks had landed the lead role in the movie Splash which grossed $69 million at the box office.

Tom Hanks starred in five comedy movies that flopped at the box office after the role in Splash. It wasn't until he was cast in the movie Big in 1988 put Tom Hanks back in the box office scene in Hollywood.

Then Tom found his self in another run of bad roles in bad movies. The box office failures in the next two years were The 'Burbs in 1989, Joe Versus the Volcano in 1990, and The Bonfire of the Vanities in 1990 as well.

It wasn't until 1992 when Tom Hanks resurfaced in the movie A League of Their Own. The role he landed in this movie was the coach of the Georgia Peaches with Geena Davis, Rosie O'Donnell, Madonna, and a cast of others.

In 1993 Tom Hanks landed the lead male roles in Sleepless in Seattle with Meg Ryan and Philadelphia which won him an Academy Award in 1994 for Best Actor.

In 1994, Tom Hanks was approached once again by Ron Howard for the part of astronaut Jim Lovell in the movie Apollo 13. Apollo 13 was nominated in 1996 for an Academy Award.

The Thing You Do was directed and produced by Tom Hanks. Tom also executive produced, co-directed, and co-wrote an HBO 12-part series From Earth to the Moon.

In 1998, Tom Hanks teamed with Steven Spielberg in the movie Saving Private Ryan. Later that year, Tom Hanks played opposite Meg Ryan once again in the movie You've Got Mail.

In 1999, Tom starred in The Green Mile based on a novel by Stephen King. In 2000, Hanks landed the leading role in Cast Away.

In 2001, Tom Hanks turned his attention again to directing and producing the HBO series The Band of Brothers. Tom was also seen in two other made for television shows that year, America: A Tribute to Heros and Rescued from the Closet.

Later movies that starred Tom Hanks were The Road to Perdition, Catch Me if You Can, The Polar Express, The Terminal, and latest The Divinci Code.

Tom Hanks and his wife, Rita Wilson, co-produced My Big Fat Greek Wedding.

Tom Hanks now is one of Hollywood's biggest box office draws and two-time Academy Award winner plus numerous nominations by the Academy.