Today: Tom Hanks, Oscar-winning actor
Have you ever read about Tom Hanks being arrested? Driving drunk? Cheating on his wife? Throwing a fit on the set of a film?
No, you haven't.
Granted nobody should do any of those things, but in this day of oversized egos and bad public behavior, it's refreshing to find an actor of Tom Hanks' stature who actually hasn't.
Hanks is the model of what we would like to see in a Hollywood star.
He's modest. He's understated. He's funny. He's good at what he does. And he lives a life with high standards.
Tom Hanks was born in 1956 in Concord, California -- a middle-income suburb east of San Francisco. His parents divorced when he was 5 and Hanks, along with his brother and sister, was raised by his father, who worked as a chef. The family moved around before settling in Oakland.
That's where Hanks attended Skyline High. After graduating in 1974, he went to a community college in nearby Hayward before transferring to the theater program at Sacramento State.
He spent the next three summers acting in various productions of Shakespeare plays, according to biography.com. In 1978, he won the Cleveland Critics Circle Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of Proteus in "The Two Gentlemen of Verona."
Hanks dropped out of college in 1980 and with his modest training moved to New York. He landed a small role in the slasher film, "He Knows You're Alone."
Then came his big break. He was spotted by an ABC talent scout and cast in the television comedy, "Bosom Buddies." The show itself was forgettable, but Hanks' acting abilities weren't.
After the show was cancelled two years later, Hanks got guest roles on shows such as "Happy Days," "Taxi" and "Family Ties." Ron Howard noticed Hanks and cast him in the lead male role of the movie, "Splash," starring Daryl Hannah as a mermaid.
Hanks starred in several widely panned movies, including "Bachelor Party," before being cast by director Penny Marshall in her comedy, "Big." That movie charmed audiences and critics and brought Hanks his first Academy Award nomination for best actor.
Hanks still had to work hard, though. Over the next few years, he starred in modestly accomplished movies such as "Joe Versus The Volcano" and "Bonfire of the Vanities."
In 1993, he had the lead roles in two huge hits, "Sleepless in Seattle" and "Philadelphia." The latter role garnered him the best actor Oscar.
The following year, he starred in "Forrest Gump" and snagged another Oscar.
Since then, he has had a string of hits, including "Apollo 13," "Saving Private Ryan" and "The Da Vinci Code." He also had done the voice of "Woody" in the "Toy Story" movies. His films have earned an estimated $4 billion in the U.S. market alone.
However, Hanks' accomplishments go beyond his acting roles. He has produced and directed. He also has taken on projects and causes.
After "Apollo 13," he got interested in space travel and produced and directed the HBO mini-series, "From The Earth To The Moon." He's also a member of the National Space Society and has an asteroid named after him.
The well-known actor also has paid tribute on numerous occasions to the so-called "Greatest Generation" that pulled itself out of the Great Depression and battled on two fronts in "World War Two."
Hanks has had relatively little bad publicity by Hollywood standards. He and his first wife did divorce in 1987 after nine years of marriage and two children. In a 2006 interview, Hanks admitted to having an affair with current wife, Rita Wilson, while he was still married to his first wife. He called the affair "nothing to celebrate."
Hanks has been married to Wilson since 1988. They also have two children.
In public appearances, Hanks is likable, self-effacing and kind. He has stated in interviews that his acting in his early career wasn't all that good and he worked hard to improve. He has also blamed what he called his poor decision making for some of the movie flops he's been involved in.
Refreshing. Somebody as well known as Hanks actually admitting shortcomings and not blaming others for failures.
Hanks hasn't been afraid to speak his mind, although it's mostly done in a positive way. He has supported Democratic candidates, including President Obama. He also owns an electric car and is a vocal proponent of same-sex marriage.
Hanks is sort of like the nation's class president. He's a popular, nice big guy on campus.
Someone worth emulating and certainly a Baby Boomer to be proud of.
No comments:
Post a Comment