Tom Hanks Highlights

  • 2009: Re-teamed with Howard to play professor Robert Langdon in "Angels & Demons," the film adaptation of Dan Brown's novel and sequel to "The Da Vinci Code"
  • 2008: Executive produced (with wife Rita Wilson) the film adaptation of the West End stage musical, "Mamma Mia!"
  • 2008: Executive produced the HBO original movie, "John Adams"
  • 2008: Co-starred with son Colin in "The Great Buck Howard," a comedy about a young aspiring magician (Colin) who becomes the assistant to a renowned illusionist against his father's wishes
  • 2007: Portrayed Democratic Texas Congressman, Charlie Wilson in "Charlie Wilson's War" directed by Mike Nichols, written by Aaron Sorkin, and co-starring Julia Roberts; earned a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy
  • 2006: Re-teamed with director Ron Howard to portray professor Robert Langdon in the film adaptation of "The Da Vinci Code" based on Dan Brown's bestseller
  • 2004: Cast as the voice of The Conductor/Hero Boy in the animated film "Polar Express," directed and screenplay by Robert Zemeckis
  • 2004: Starred in the romantic comedy "The Terminal," as Viktor Navorski, an immigrant who becomes a resident of a New York airport terminal; directed by Steven Spielberg and starred Catherine Zeta-Jones
  • 2004: Starred as a southern professor who puts together a group of thieves to rob a casino in the remake of "The Ladykillers"; helmed by Joel and Ethan Coen
  • 2002: Co-starred with Paul Newman in "The Road to Perdition"
  • 2002: Collaborated again with director Spielberg for "Catch Me if You Can" playing the FBI agent pursuing Leonardo DiCaprio
  • 2001: With Spielberg, produced the HBO WWII-themed miniseries "Band of Brothers"; also scripted and directed episodes
  • 2000: Co-starred with Helen Hunt in "Cast Away", directed by Zemeckis; played a man stranded on a deserted island; production was halted to allow Hanks to lose an appropriate amount of weight to reflect the character's emaciation; received Best Actor Oscar nomination
  • 1999: Starred as a prison guard in the period drama "The Green Mile". adapted from Stephen King's novel
  • 1999: Reprised voice of Woody in "Toy Story 2", originally planned as a direct-to-video release, film received a theatrical distribution
  • 1998: Headlined the Steven Spielberg-directed "Saving Private Ryan", playing a captain leading a team of soldiers in search of the missing private; garnered Best Actor Academy Award nomination
  • 1998: Third teaming with Meg Ryan, the romantic comedy "You've Got Mail"; directed by Nora Ephron; a loose remake of "The Shop Around the Corner"
  • 1998: Co-executive produced the 13-part HBO series "From the Earth to the Moon" about the NASA space program; also acted in, scripted and directed episodes; co-produced with Ron Howard, Brian Grazer and others
  • 1996: Feature screenwrting and directing debut, "That Thing You Do!"; also played featured role of the band's manager amd wrote songs included in the film
  • 1995: Portrayed real-life astronaut James Lovell in "Apollo 13"; directed by Howard
  • 1995: Voiced the cowboy Woody in the computer-animated feature "Toy Story"
  • 1994: Received consecutive Best Actor Academy Award as "Forrest Gump" a slow-witted Southerner who lives an extraordinary life; first collaboration with director Robert Zemeckis
  • 1993: Directed and acted in "I'll Be Waiting", a segment of the Showtime series "Fallen Angels"
  • 1993: With Gary Goetzman, formed the production company Clavius Base
  • 1993: Proved a fine romantic lead opposite Ryan in the Nora Ephron-directed "Sleepless in Seattle"
  • 1993: Portrayed a gay lawyer with AIDS who sues his law firm for wrongful termination in "Philadelphia"; won Best Actor Oscar
  • 1992: Rejuvenated career after a string of box-office disappointments playing the character role of the boozy baseball coach in "A League of Their Own"; seceond collaboration with Penny Marshall as director
  • 1992: Received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
  • 1992: TV directorial debut, "None But the Lonely Heart" episode of HBO's "Tales From the Crypt" series
  • 1990: First screen pairing with Meg Ryan (who had multiple roles) in the uneven comedy "Joe Versus the Volcano"
  • 1990: Starred as Sherman McCoy in Brian De Palma's ill-fated screen version of "The Bonfire of the Vanities"
  • 1988: Earned first Best Actor Academy Award nomination for "Big"; directed by Penny Marshall
  • 1988: Delivered a strong turn as a bitter stand-up comic in "Punchline"; co-starred opposite Sally Field
  • 1986: Offered a fine performance as a workaholic advertising executive who tries to reconcile with his ill father (Jackie Gleason) in "Nothing in Common"
  • 1984: First leading role in a feature film, "Splash"; directed by Ron Howard
  • 1983: Had recurring role as Uncle Ned on the NBC sitcom "Family Ties"
  • 1982: First TV-movie, "Rona Jaffe's 'Mazes and Monsters'"
  • 1980: Co-starred in the short-lived cult ABC sitcom, "Bosom Buddies"; played an advertising trainee who pretended to be a woman in order to live cheaply at a women-only hotel
  • 1980: Film acting debut, "He Knows You're Alone"; was paid only $800
  • 1978: Made professional debut as Grumio in "The Taming of the Shrew" at the Riverside Theater in Cleveland, OH
  • Spent three seasons performing with the Great Lakes Theater Festival in Ohio working with Vincent Dowling
  • Made guest appearance on ABC's "Happy Days"; first met Ron Howard
  • Moved to New York