Top 10 - Tom Hanks

Splash (1984)

As the lead in Touchstone Pictures’ very first cinematic production, Tom Hanks swept mermaid Darrell Hannah off her fins, to the delight of millions everywhere. The film was a box-office hit, marking Hanks’ debut as one of Hollywood’s hottest actors of all time. Walt Disney were eager to produce Splash, in favour of a similar story starring Warren Beatty, after director Ron Howard promised a lower budget and shorter production time. However, upon seeing the inclusion of brief nudity and strong language, Touchstone Pictures was created to cater to the adult scenes. The film went onto to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay.

Big (1988)

When floppy haired, 13-year-old Josh Basking wishes he was “big” at a carnival, his life is turned upside down. Big is the familiar tale of wanting to break free of the chains of childhood, with a twist. For the part, Hanks unleashed his inner child to play a young boy trapped inside a 30-year-old man’s body. The film went onto to become an iconic success, earning Hanks his first Academy Award nomination for Best Actor and coining that famous giant piano scene. The Walking Piano, hosted by the FAO Toy Store in New York, is now a famous landmark after being featured in the film. In the scene, Hanks and fellow cast mate Robert Loggia impressively dance across giant piano keys to Heart and Soul and Chopsticks.

Philadelphia (1993)

The decision to play Andrew Beckett - a gay lawyer with AIDS, who sues his employers after they fire him under discriminative grounds - saw a major turning point in Hanks’ career. With an accompanying cast of Denzel Washington and Antonio Benderas, Hanks put in an Academy Award winning performance, proving to his peers that he wasn’t just the proverbial rom-com guy. The family of AIDS sufferer Geoffrey Bowers, who inspired the plot, later sued the writers and producers of the film, claiming that they had been promised compensation. And not only did the film stir up ill feeling within the Bowers family but it also attracted a lot of attention in the media for its controversial plot.

Forrest Gump (1994)

Based on Winston Groom's novel, this coming of age story sees Hanks running through life as the charmingly unique Forrest Gump. Famous for its innovative use of archive footage, placing Hanks alongside the likes of John Lennon and President Kennedy, Forrest Gump was nominated for a staggering 13 Academy Awards, six of which it won. Several actors were approached to play the lead role of Forrest, including Bill Murray and Chevy Chase, who turned it down. When Robert Zemeckis finally found his lead, Hanks dismissed a pay cheque and instead took percentage points from the film’s success, earning him a cool $40million.

Apollo 13 (1995)

Apollo 13 reunited Hanks with director Ron Howard in a film based on the unsuccessful 1970s lunar mission. Intent on giving an authentic performance as astronaut Jim Lovell, Hanks - joined by his cast mates Bill Paxton and Kevin Bacon - attended the U.S. Space Camp in Huntsville, Alabama. To prepare for their fictional blast into outer-space, they also studied the audio tapes from the actual mission and took a course in physics. Ron Howard has since claimed that astronaut Buzz Aldrin requested footage from the film to use at NASA, instead of the factual mission recordings. Interestingly, Brad Pitt turned down the role of Lovell in favour of David Fincher’s dark thriller Se7en.

Toy Story (1995)

Complete with cowboy hat, commercial catch phrase, and his very own pull-string, Hanks was given a digital makeover to play Woody in Pixar’s Toy Story. As the firm favourite of his owner, Andy, Woody can’t help feeling threatened when a brand new toy named Buzz Lightyear bursts on the scene. The voice of Buzz, Tim Allen, has revealed on several occasions that he and Tom Hanks weren’t in the studio’s original line up. Jim Carrey and Paul Newman were considered for the parts of Buzz and Woody, but due to the film’s small budget they weren’t cast. Not concerned with a massive payout Hanks signed on immediately, securing his place in the animated hall of fame.

Saving Private Ryan (1998)

Had Steven Spielberg directed the film Big – as he was originally meant to - this film would have marked Hanks and Spielberg’s second on-set collaboration. However, other than producing one of Hanks earlier, less successful films (Joe Versus The Volcano) the pair had never previously worked together in an actor-director capacity. Saving Private Ryan changed all this, uniting two cinema greats. Their alliance sparked the television series Band of Brothers, and prompted other film collaborations. During production, cast mate Matt Damon was granted a get out of jail free card from mandatory army training. Such a move was made in an attempt to channel any resentment the cast may have felt towards Damon, onto the big screen.

Cast Away (2000)

Stranded on a desert Island after his plane crashes on a flight over the South Pacific, Chuck Noland (Hanks) is forced to fend for himself. With such a recognisable plot and a title which has been used time and time again director, Robert Zemeckis and Hanks had a job on their hands making this film more than just another washed up drama. However, they succeeded. The film offers a realistic and refreshing perspective on what a person might do in complete solitude. Hank’s character, Noland fashions a friend from a volley ball and becomes saddened when the ball washes away at sea. Hanks lost weight for the role, with production ceasing to a halt for an entire year all so he could shed the pounds.

Road to Perdition (2002)

A Sam Mendes production, this film sees Hanks join an all-star cast of Paul Newman, Jude Law, Tyler Hoechlin and Daniel Craig, to play an assassin who is forced to leave behind a life of crime, when his son witnesses what he does for a living. Mendes is said to have shied away from lengthy dialogue in favour of capturing the emotion of his characters through a series of visual elements; including water as a signifier of death. Proving their depth as actors, both Paul Newman and Hanks polished their piano skills to play a piece in the opening funeral, instead of relying on a pianist double.

Catch Me If You Can (2002)

Based on the life of con artist Frank Abagnale Jr. Catch Me If You Can tells the tale of a 19-year-old (Leonardo DiCaprio), who skilfully side steps the authorities with millions of dollars in his back pocket. Hanks’ character, FBI Agent Carl Hanratty, pursues Frank through most of the film, but fails to keep up with a spritely young DiCaprio. Spielberg is said to have had Johnny Depp in mind when casting for the part of Frank but instead put his faith in the Titanic star, who challenges Hanks in his role of Hanratty perfectly. In true Spielberg style, the film also contains a cinematic reference to Hanks’ 1994 box office smash, Forrest Gump.

Jennifer Trevorrow