Tom Hank's Fortune

Short introduction

Tom Hanks is an American actor, producer and director and two-time Oscar winner.

Early life

Thomas “Tom” Jeffrey Hanks was born in Concord, California. His parents, a cook and a nurse, divorced early. With his two siblings, Hanks grew up with his father and different stepmothers. According to Hank’s own statements, the family was constantly moving. Tom Hanks also has a younger brother, who grew up with his mother. Hanks discovered his interest in acting while still at school. He gained his first experiences in plays in his high school and in acting courses. After graduating from school, he decided to study acting. In addition to studying at a theater in Cleveland, Hanks learned skills in lighting and sound engineering.

Career

In 1972 Tom Hanks moved to New York to drive his career. There he received his first television and film roles. He was brilliant in guest roles, for example in the series “Taxi” and “Happy Days”. During this time, he met the actor and director Ron Howard, to whom he owed his first leading role: In the comedy “Splash – A Virgin on the Hook”, Hanks convinced audiences and critics. A few comedies followed until the actor turned to more serious, serious roles, both in the film “Philadelphia” and “Sleepless in Seattle” (both from 1993) starring Hanks. Many other films in which Hanks proved themselves followed (“The Soldier James Ryan” or “Apollo 13”). After his great success, he also made a name for himself behind the camera in 1996. With producer Gary Goetzman, Hanks founded the production company “Playtone”. He also directed or acted as a screenwriter for several specially produced films. The company produced many well-known films such as “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” or “The War of Charlie Wilson”. In addition to working as an actor and producer, Hanks also took on speaking roles for films such as “Toy Story” or “Der Polarexpress”.

Career highlights

For the film “Philadelphia”, in which Tom Hanks plays a lawyer suffering from AIDS, he won the Oscar for Best Actor. A year later, he was awarded another Oscar for his portrayal in “Forrest Gump”. There Hanks played a mentally retarded man who reports about his life so far.

Famous quotes

“I’ve never thought of fooling others. That’s what film or theater is for. ”

“You don’t have to like all employees, but you have to respect them.”

“Compared to Steven Spielberg, I’m a backup Batman.”

“It was not difficult if everyone did it. It’s the difficulty that makes it big. ”

“Saying no is more powerful than saying yes.”

“Whoever celebrates success has many enemies.”

“Today people are defensive, tough, suspicious, cynical and lonely.”

“Compared to directing, acting is like a vacation”.

“At the end of the day, it should be a good film, it should be a fun film. It should be such that people think, ‘Hey, I couldn’t have spent my time better.’

“Everyone has someone to cheer him up, for me it was always loneliness. The cinema has the power to make you feel like you’re not alone, even when you are. ”

Amazing facts

Tom Hanks also physically pushes his limits for his roles. For the film “Cast Away”, which he also produced himself, he had to reduce his weight significantly and increase it massively within a very short time. Hanks is increasingly interested in exploring space and is a big Star Trek fan. He also produced a documentary about the US space project, also known as the “Apollo program”.