Demographics Date of Birth: July 9, 1956 Birth Name: Thomas Jeffrey Hanks Born in: Concord, California Spouse: Susan Dillingham (Divorced); Current spouse: Rita Wilson Children: Colin, Elizabeth, Chester, Truman
Career Overview
Tom Hanks began his acting career at Skyline High School in Oakland, California. The first play he appeared in was the high school production of the Shakespeare play Twelfth Night. He continued acting in school plays until his graduation. After high school, Hanks attended Chabot Community College in Hayward, California. For two years he took acting classes and was in many plays and also worked behind the scenes. He transferred to California State University at Sacramento in 1976. During this time he acted with the Sacramento Civic Theater. Eventually, Tom lost interest in the academic side of school and did not return to college. He moved to Cleveland, OH during the summer of 1978 and then on to New York City in the fall.
Tom Hanks first well-known role was that of Buffy Wilson in the TV series Bosom Buddies. In this comedy, two business men dressed as women in order to live in a women's rooming house in New York City. After two seasons Bosom Buddies was cancelled, but his role in that series led to guest spots on other series such as Happy Days and Taxi.
Tom's first big movie role was that of Allen Bauer in the film Splash. That film was directed by Ron Howard of Happy Days fame who remembered Hanks from his guest starring role years before. He went on to star in a number of movies that did not do well at the theaters. However, he did land the starring role in Big which earned him an Academy Award nomination. 1993 was a great year for Tom Hanks. He was in two critically acclaimed movies: Sleepless in Seattle and Philadelphia. In the film Philadelphia, Tom played a lawyer with AIDS. He was awarded the Academy Award for his role in this film. Tom Hanks has starred in a series of blocbuster movies - Forrest Gump (won the Academy Award for his role), Apollo 13, Saving Private Ryan, You've Got Mail, Toy Story, Castaway, The Green Mile, The DaVinci Code, and Angels and Demons. Tom has also produced and directed TV shows and movies; Band of Brothers being one of the most popular.
For a complete listing of Tom Hank's career accomplishments go to: Internet Movie Database - Tom Hanks Community Involvement Tom has become involved in efforts to applaud the veteran's of our country. Most recently he has helped raise money for the World War II museum in New Orleans. He is also the advisor and narrator of a documentary film that the museum will release.
Quotes "I love what I do for a living, it's the greatest job in the world, but you have to survive an awful lot of attention that you don't truly deserve and you have to live up to your professional responsibilities and I'm always trying to balance that with what is really important."
"I would not want to live in a country that would have me as a leader in any sort of political bent."
"If you have to have a job in this world, a high-priced movie star is a pretty good gig."
"If you have to have a job in this world, a high-priced movie star is a pretty good gig."
Citations
Floyd, A. (Photographer). (2002). WKD Tom Hanks, [Online Image]. Retrieved October 28, 2009, from AP Images.
Germain, D. (2009, May 6). Tom Hanks lends a hand to New Orleans' WWII museum. USA Today. Retrieved from http://www.usatoday.com/travel/news/2009-05-06-tom-hanks-ww2-museum_N.htm
Internet movie database: Tom Hanks. (n.d.). Retrieved October 28, 2009, from Internet Movie Database website: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000158/
"Tom Hanks." Encyclopedia of World Biography Supplement, Vol. 23. Gale, 2003. Reproduced in Biography Resource Center. Farmington Hills, Mich.: Gale, 2009. http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/BioRC
Demographics
Date of Birth: July 9, 1956
Birth Name: Thomas Jeffrey Hanks
Born in: Concord, California
Spouse: Susan Dillingham (Divorced); Current spouse: Rita Wilson
Children: Colin, Elizabeth, Chester, Truman
Career Overview
Tom Hanks began his acting career at Skyline High School in Oakland, California. The first play he appeared in was the high school production of the Shakespeare play Twelfth Night. He continued acting in school plays until his graduation. After high school, Hanks attended Chabot Community College in Hayward, California. For two years he took acting classes and was in many plays and also worked behind the scenes. He transferred to California State University at Sacramento in 1976. During this time he acted with the Sacramento Civic Theater. Eventually, Tom lost interest in the academic side of school and did not return to college. He moved to Cleveland, OH during the summer of 1978 and then on to New York City in the fall.
Tom Hanks first well-known role was that of Buffy Wilson in the TV series Bosom Buddies. In this comedy, two business men dressed as women in order to live in a women's rooming house in New York City. After two seasons Bosom Buddies was cancelled, but his role in that series led to guest spots on other series such as Happy Days and Taxi.
Tom's first big movie role was that of Allen Bauer in the film Splash. That film was directed by Ron Howard of Happy Days fame who remembered Hanks from his guest starring role years before. He went on to star in a number of movies that did not do well at the theaters. However, he did land the starring role in Big which earned him an Academy Award nomination. 1993 was a great year for Tom Hanks. He was in two critically acclaimed movies: Sleepless in Seattle and Philadelphia. In the film Philadelphia, Tom played a lawyer with AIDS. He was awarded the Academy Award for his role in this film. Tom Hanks has starred in a series of blocbuster movies - Forrest Gump (won the Academy Award for his role), Apollo 13, Saving Private Ryan, You've Got Mail, Toy Story, Castaway, The Green Mile, The DaVinci Code, and Angels and Demons. Tom has also produced and directed TV shows and movies; Band of Brothers being one of the most popular.
For a complete listing of Tom Hank's career accomplishments go to: Internet Movie Database - Tom Hanks
Community Involvement
Tom has become involved in efforts to applaud the veteran's of our country. Most recently he has helped raise money for the World War II museum in New Orleans. He is also the advisor and narrator of a documentary film that the museum will release.
Quotes
"I love what I do for a living, it's the greatest job in the world, but you have to survive an awful lot of attention that you don't truly deserve and you have to live up to your professional responsibilities and I'm always trying to balance that with what is really important."
"I would not want to live in a country that would have me as a leader in any sort of political bent."
"If you have to have a job in this world, a high-priced movie star is a pretty good gig."
"If you have to have a job in this world, a high-priced movie star is a pretty good gig."
Citations
Floyd, A. (Photographer). (2002). WKD Tom Hanks, [Online Image]. Retrieved October 28, 2009, from AP Images.
Germain, D. (2009, May 6). Tom Hanks lends a hand to New Orleans' WWII museum. USA Today. Retrieved from
http://www.usatoday.com/travel/news/2009-05-06-tom-hanks-ww2-museum_N.htm
Internet movie database: Tom Hanks. (n.d.). Retrieved October 28, 2009, from Internet Movie Database website: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000158/
"Tom Hanks." Encyclopedia of World Biography Supplement, Vol. 23. Gale, 2003. Reproduced in Biography Resource Center. Farmington Hills, Mich.: Gale, 2009.
http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/BioRC
Tom Hanks. (2009). Biography.com. Retrieved Nov 7 2009 from http://www.biography.com/articles/Tom-Hanks-9327661
Tom Hanks quotes. (n.d.). Brainy quote. Retrieved November 10, 2009, from http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/t/tom_hanks.html
You tube: Bosom buddies opening. (n.d.). Retrieved October 28, 2009, from You Tube website: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ORKyyHBy6JQ