Tom Hanks is one of the most successful and well-respected actors in Hollywood. He was born on July 9, 1956, in Concord, California, and grew up in the nearby city of Oakland. He began his acting career in the late 1970s and early 1980s, appearing in a number of stage productions and television shows.
Hanks' breakout role came in 1984 when he starred in the hit film Splash, which established him as a leading actor in Hollywood. He went on to star in a number of successful films throughout the 1980s and 1990s, including Big, A League of Their Own, Sleepless in Seattle, and Forrest Gump, for which he won his first Academy Award for Best Actor.
Throughout the 2000s and 2010s, Hanks continued to take on a wide variety of roles in films such as Catch Me If You Can, The Terminal, The Da Vinci Code, and Captain Phillips, and earned his second Best Actor Oscar for his performance in Philadelphia. He also starred in a number of critically acclaimed films such as Cast Away and Saving Mr. Banks.
In addition to his successful acting career, Hanks is also known for his philanthropy and political activism. He has been involved with a number of charitable organizations, including the Make-A-Wish Foundation, the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation, and Stand Up to Cancer.
