In honor of Tom Hanks’ latest movie role in “A Man Called Otto” — released wide theatrically Jan. 13 — TheWrap has rounded up 13 more iconic appearances that the movie star has nailed in his career. We’ve included some of the best quotes from his famous films.
Starting off with classic rom-coms from Nora Ephron like “Sleepless in Seattle” and “You’ve Got Mail” to family favorites from Penny Marshall like “Big” and “A League of Their Own,” Hanks made his way into dramatic roles like “Philadelphia,” for which he won an Oscar and later movies like “Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close” and “The Post.”
Here are 13 of Tom Hanks’ greatest roles:
“Big” (1988)
Playing a young boy in a grown man’s body never looked as easy as Hanks makes it seem. In Penny Marshall’s “Big,” Hanks plays Josh Baskin, who makes a wish to be ‘big.’ A lesson in the old adage “Be careful what you wish for,” the character wakes up the next day in the body of Tom Hanks, but with the same adolescent brain. Hanks infuses the role with humor and innocence, bringing new childish joy to the monotonous life of adulthood, and reminding viewers that we never really grow up. From the iconic chopsticks piano scene to sticking his head out the limousine sunroof, “Big” sets Hanks’ bar pretty high for great roles.
“A League of Their Own” (1992)
Hanks ranked his role of Jimmy Dugan among his top three movie shoots on the Bill Simmons podcast. Dugan is a washed-up baseball athlete with a great batting average and record, but his alcoholism got the better of him, causing him to have to retire from the sport early. Working with director Penny Marshall once more, Hanks brings to life the character who gets asked to coach the Rockford Peaches in the All American Girls Professional Baseball League that sprung up during World War II when all the men got drafted. Hanks provides both words of wisdom (“There’s no crying in baseball!”) and comedic relief in between the tense, adrenaline-pumped sports scenes.
“Sleepless in Seattle” (1993)
“Sleepless in Seattle” proves an excellent case study of the Tom Hanks x Meg Ryan chemistry. Sam Baldwin’s (Hanks) son Jonah (Ross Malinger) calls into a radio station talk show to find his dad a new partner. Hanks’ character Baldwin is recently widowed, and once Jonah hands the phone to him that fateful night, he becomes quite the heartthrob. Meg Ryan’s character Annie Reed falls for him all the way from Baltimore, Maryland. Of course, this Nora Ephron film wouldn’t be the classic it is without Mr. Hanks, but a great ensemble cast backs the star-crossed couple, including Victor Garber as Greg, Rita Wilson as Loretta, Bill Pullman as Walter and Rosie O’Donnell as Suzy.
“Philadelphia” (1993)
Hanks won his first Oscar for portraying Andrew Beckett, a lawyer who comes down with AIDS just at the peak of his legal career. He seeks out Joe Miller (Denzel Washington) to represent him in a wrongful dismissal suit against his former employers, who fired him once he revealed his HIV diagnosis. From writer Ron Nyswaner and director Jonathan Demme, “Philadelphia” was a groundbreaking film released in the midst of the AIDS epidemic.
“Forrest Gump” (1994)
Hanks’ Oscar-winning “Forrest Gump” (1994) is available to stream on Netflix. The Southern charm of Robert Zemeckis’ feel-good film, which won the Best Picture and Best Actor Oscars, makes for the perfect movie night. Pop culture references abound as the film follows the slow-witted Forrest on his journey through American touchstones like the Vietnam War, incorporating real historical footage with Hanks’ performance.
“Apollo 13” (1995)
Hanks portrays Jim Lovell, one-third of the real-life Apollo 13 crew of Astronauts in the Ron Howard-directed film, based on the book “Lost Moon” by Jim Lovell and Jeffrey Kluger. Hanks delivers the iconic line “Houston, we have a problem,” when the expected “routine” flight to the moon encounters some hurdles in the Ron Howard film.
“You’ve Got Mail” (1998)
Another Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks collab directed by Nora Ephron, “You’ve Got Mail” looks at life before dating apps, when a stranger you pass by on the street might already be the love of your life. Joe Fox (Hanks) works for a chain book superstore that threatens to put Kathleen Kelly’s (Ryan) cozy little indie one out of business. When they aren’t fighting each other in person, they’re flirting via email and confessing deep dark secrets to each other. The ending doesn’t exactly make sense, but the Hanks-Ryan chemistry is undeniable. Pair this one with “Sleepless in Seattle” and you’ve got a great double feature!
“Cast Away” (2000)
WILSONNNN! While the volleyball stole the show, without Tom Hanks, that iconic line would not exist. FedEx employee Chuck Noland (Hanks) crash lands on a deserted island. Forced to survive on his own, he learns a thing or two about life. From harvesting coconut water to killing crabs to knocking one of his own teeth out with an ice skate, Noland returns home a changed man, but he’s missed out on the life he could have lived. Hanks brings both depth and humor to this role. This film marks many a collaboration with director Robert Zemeckis.
“Catch Me If You Can” (2002)
Hanks brings FBI agent Car Hanratty to life opposite Leonardo DiCaprio’s Frank Abagnale Jr., a barely 21-year-old forger and con artist who evades Hanratty for most of the film. Though he comes off as a harsh New Yorker intent on punishing Frank, Hanks lends a sympathetic edge to his character when it comes to Frank’s loneliness and Carl’s sense of how he truly feels. This one’s a Steven Spielberg special.
“The Polar Express” (2004)
Another Zemeckis collaboration, “The Polar Express” literally would not be what it is without Tom Hanks because he plays at least five roles: that of the star “Hero Boy” child, the train conductor, Santa Claus, the kid’s father and the man roughing it on the roof of the express train. Though the animation can come off as creepy, the motion capture reveals how Hanks lies behind the faces of each of these characters. His narration of the story from the now-older boy’s point of view seals the deal for the Christmas classic.
“Captain Phillips” (2013)
Another award-winning film in which Hanks starred, 2013’s “Captain Phillips” is streaming on HBO Max. Hanks portrays Captain Richard Phillips, who was onboard the U.S. MV Maersk Alabama when it was hijacked by Somali pirates. It was the first American cargo boat to be overtaken in 200 years. Paul Greengrass directs Billy Ray’s screenplay adapted from Richard Phillips’ book “A Captain’s Duty: Somali Pirates, Navy SEALS and Dangerous Days at Sea.” Barkhad Abdi, Barkhad Abdirahman, Faysal Ahmed and Mahat M. Ali portray the Somali pirates, with Catherine Keener as Andrea Phillips, Richard’s wife. A surge of adrenaline occurs about as often as the boat rocks in this adaptation of real-life events, with the pirates threatening Phillips’ life.
“The Post” (2017)
Talent recognizes talent, and paired with Maryl Streep, who portrays previous Washington Post owner Katharine Graham, Tom Hanks nails another role, this time of tough news editor and journalist Benjamin Bradlee in Steven Spielberg’s political drama “The Post” (2017). Bradlee was known as a pirate for stealing scoops and cribbing news, but when it came to breaking a major piece of news that incriminated the United States government, he pushed Streep’s Graham to do the true duty of a newspaper owner and tell the truth, leaking the highly classified Pentagon Papers.
“A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood” (2019)
Hanks’ performance as Fred Rogers garnered him an Oscar nomination. Marielle Heller directed the film based on the true story of the friendship between Mr. Rogers and journalist Lloyd Vogel. Hanks brings a childhood to life in heartwarming fashion.
