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Tom Hanks Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated October 16, 2026 • 3 min read

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Quick Info

Date of birthJuly 9, 1956

Age63 Years

BirthplaceConcord, California, U.S.A.

ProfessionActor, Filmmaker

NationalityAmerican

Marital statusMarried

SpouseRita Wilson

FamilySons - Chet Hanks, Colin Hanks, Truman Theodore Hanks; Daughter - Elizabeth Ann Hanks

Tom Hanks Biography

Tom Hanks is an American actor and filmmaker whose career spans stage, television and film. Known for both dramatic and comedic roles, he has earned major,

Early life and background

Thomas Jeffrey Hanks was born on July 9, 1956, in Concord, California. Raised in a family that moved several times before settling in the Oakland area, he attended Skyline High School in Oakland and later studied drama at California State University, Sacramento after beginning his college career at Chabot College in Hayward. From an early age he pursued acting, leaving school in 1977 to accept an internship with the Great Lakes Shakespeare Festival. He earned early recognition on stage, winning a Cleveland Critics Circle award for a Shakespeare performance in 1978.

Career

Hanks’ screen career began in 1980 with small projects on both television and film. His television work included the sitcom Bosom Buddies, and his film debut was the low-budget horror picture He Knows You’re Alone. A guest appearance on Happy Days led to a supporting part in the film Splash, which brought him wider attention in the early 1980s.

During the late 1980s and 1990s Hanks established himself as a leading actor across genres. He gained particular notice for the 1988 comedy Big, playing a child trapped in an adult’s body. That period also included a string of acclaimed dramatic roles: he won the Academy Award for Best Actor for Philadelphia and followed that with a second Best Actor Oscar for Forrest Gump. He received subsequent Academy Award recognition for his work in Saving Private Ryan.

Hanks has worked repeatedly with director Ron Howard, including in the Dan Brown adaptations The Da Vinci Code and its sequels, in which he played the character Robert Langdon. He has also taken on producing duties and has appeared alongside his son Colin in the film The Great Buck Howard, which he co-produced.

Voice work is another notable element of his career: he is the voice of Woody in the Toy Story animated film series. Beyond acting, Hanks has written; in 2017 he published a collection of short stories inspired by his interest in vintage typewriters.

Public profile

Over his career Hanks has been widely recognized with industry honors. In addition to his Academy Awards, he has won multiple Golden Globe Awards and received honors including the Kennedy Center Honors Medallion and the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Hanks has been open about aspects of his personal life that intersect with his public profile. He is a long-time supporter of causes such as environmental initiatives, same-sex marriage and alternative fuels, and he has publicly backed political candidates. A supporter of NASA’s human spaceflight program, he has said he once aspired to be an astronaut. He has also discussed his health publicly, including a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes.

Family and personal life

Hanks has been married to actress Rita Wilson since April 30, 1988. He has four children: sons Chet Hanks and Colin Hanks, and children Truman Theodore Hanks and Elizabeth Ann Hanks. His parents are Amos Mefford Hanks and Janet Marylyn Frager; he has siblings including Jim, Larry and Sandra Hanks. Hanks practices the Greek Orthodox faith.

Latest updates

In March 2020 Hanks and his wife announced they had tested positive for the novel coronavirus while in Australia, where Hanks was working on a film about the life of Elvis Presley. The couple described mild flu-like symptoms at the time and publicly shared their test results and status.

Hanks’ public interests extend beyond film: he collects vintage typewriters, has a minor planet—asteroid 12818—named after him, and supports a range of social and environmental causes. He remains active in acting, producing and occasional writing projects.

Editorial Review and Sources

This F4U profile is written from publicly available career and profile information, then reviewed for clarity before publication. If you spot an outdated detail about Tom Hanks, send the page URL and a reliable correction source to f4udotin@gmail.com.

Reference context: StarsUnfolded

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Recent Work

Sully

Portrayed the role of pilot Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger in the biographical drama about a successful emergency airplane landing.

2016
Uncommon Type (book)

Published a collection of short stories inspired by his typewriter collection.

2017
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Career Highlights

  1. Two Academy Awards for Best Actor (Philadelphia and Forrest Gump)
  2. Multiple Golden Globe Awards
  3. Kennedy Center Honors Medallion (2014)
  4. Presidential Medal of Freedom (2016)
  5. Voice of Woody in the Toy Story series
  6. Starred in and produced major films including Big, Saving Private Ryan, The Da Vinci Code series
Reviewed by F4U Editorial Desk

F4U profile pages are prepared from public career information, checked for readability, and updated when reliable correction sources are shared with the editorial team.

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Frequently Asked Questions

When was Tom Hanks born?

Tom Hanks was born on July 9, 1956.

What is Tom Hanks known for?

Tom Hanks is known for actor, Filmmaker.

What is Tom Hanks’s marital status?

Tom Hanks's marital status is listed as Married.

Who is Tom Hanks married to?

Tom Hanks is publicly listed as married to Rita Wilson.