Career Timeline of Tom Hanks: Major Achievements and Milestones
From career breakthroughs to professional milestones, explore how Tom Hanks made an impact.
Tom Hanks is a highly acclaimed American actor and filmmaker, recognized globally as a prominent film star and American cultural icon. He's celebrated for both his comedic and dramatic performances, achieving significant box-office success. Hanks has received numerous accolades, including two Academy Awards, multiple Emmy Awards, and Golden Globe Awards. He has also been honored with prestigious lifetime achievement awards such as the AFI Life Achievement Award, the Kennedy Center Honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and the Cecil B. DeMille Award, solidifying his lasting impact on the film industry.
59 minutes ago : Tom Hanks returns to theater in 'This World of Tomorrow,' receiving mixed reviews.
Tom Hanks stars in 'This World of Tomorrow,' a new play exploring the past. Reviews are mixed, with some criticizing the play's quality despite Hanks's presence and others praising his performance.
1981: Met Rita Wilson on Bosom Buddies set
In 1981, Tom Hanks met actress Rita Wilson on the set of the TV comedy Bosom Buddies.
1985: Reunited with Rita Wilson on Volunteers set
In 1985, Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson were reunited on the set of Volunteers.
1993: Best Actor Academy Award for Philadelphia
In 1993, Tom Hanks received an Academy Award nomination and win for Best Actor for his role in Philadelphia.
1994: Best Actor Academy Award for Forrest Gump
In 1994, Tom Hanks received an Academy Award nomination and win for Best Actor for his role in Forrest Gump.
1998: Primetime Emmy Award Nomination for From the Earth to the Moon
In 1998, Tom Hanks received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for his work as a producer on the limited series From the Earth to the Moon.
1998: Saving Private Ryan and You've Got Mail releases
In 1998, Tom Hanks starred in Saving Private Ryan, directed by Steven Spielberg, a war film about searching for a soldier in France after D-Day. It was highly praised. Later in 1998, he re-teamed with Ephron and Ryan for You've Got Mail, a remake of The Shop Around the Corner.
1999: The Green Mile and Toy Story 2 releases
In 1999, Tom Hanks starred in The Green Mile, based on the novel by Stephen King. Also in 1999, Hanks reprised his role as Woody in Toy Story 2.
2000: Cast Away release
In 2000, Tom Hanks reunited with Robert Zemeckis for Cast Away, playing a FedEx systems analyst marooned on an island. His performance was highly praised.
2001: Band of Brothers premiere
In 2001, Tom Hanks co-directed and produced the Emmy Award-winning HBO miniseries Band of Brothers. He also appeared in the September 11 television special America: A Tribute to Heroes.
2002: Primetime Emmy Award Nomination for Band of Brothers
In 2002, Tom Hanks received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for his work as a producer on the television series Band of Brothers.
2004: Appears in three films
In 2004, Tom Hanks appeared in three films: The Coen brothers' The Ladykillers, Spielberg's The Terminal, and Zemeckis' The Polar Express.
2004: Donation of an espresso machine to the White House press corps
In 2004, Tom Hanks donated an espresso machine to the White House press corps after learning they did not have a coffee pot.
August 2005: Elected vice president of the Academy
In August 2005, Tom Hanks was voted in as vice president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
June 2006: Inducted into the United States Army Rangers Hall of Fame
In June 2006, Tom Hanks was inducted as an honorary member of the United States Army Rangers Hall of Fame.
2006: Starred in The Da Vinci Code and topped 'most trusted celebrities' list
In 2006, Tom Hanks starred in The Da Vinci Code, which grossed over US$750 million worldwide. In 2006, Hanks topped a 1,500-strong list of "most trusted celebrities" compiled by Forbes magazine.
2006: Douglas S. Morrow Public Outreach Award
In 2006, the Space Foundation awarded Tom Hanks the Douglas S. Morrow Public Outreach Award.
April 11, 2007: Announced to Reprise Role in Angels & Demons
On April 11, 2007, it was announced that Tom Hanks would reprise his role as Robert Langdon in Angels & Demons, reportedly receiving the highest salary ever for an actor.
2007: Voice work and film roles
In 2007, Tom Hanks did voice work for Ken Burns's documentary The War. Hanks voiced himself in The Simpsons Movie, and starred in Charlie Wilson's War.
March 10, 2008: Inducted The Dave Clark Five into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
On March 10, 2008, Tom Hanks inducted The Dave Clark Five into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
2008: Endorsed Barack Obama
During the 2008 United States presidential election, Tom Hanks uploaded a video to his MySpace account endorsing Barack Obama.
2008: Primetime Emmy Award Nomination for John Adams
In 2008, Tom Hanks received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for his work as a producer on the limited series John Adams.
2008: The Great Buck Howard, Mamma Mia!, John Adams
In 2008, Tom Hanks starred in The Great Buck Howard as the father of Colin Hanks' character. He also executive produced Mamma Mia! and the miniseries John Adams.
2009: Angels & Demons and Where The Wild Things Are
In 2009, Tom Hanks starred in Angels & Demons, reprising his role as Robert Langdon. Hanks also produced Spike Jonze's Where The Wild Things Are.
2010: Donated espresso machines to the White House press corps
In 2010, Tom Hanks donated new espresso machines to the White House press corps.
2010: Primetime Emmy Award Nomination for The Pacific
In 2010, Tom Hanks received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for his work as a producer on the television series The Pacific.
2010: Toy Story 3 and The Pacific
In 2010, Tom Hanks reprised his role as Woody in Toy Story 3, which became the highest-grossing animated film at the time. He also executive produced the miniseries The Pacific.
2011: Larry Crowne and Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close
In 2011, Tom Hanks directed and starred opposite Julia Roberts in Larry Crowne, which received poor reviews. Also in 2011, he starred in the drama Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close.
2011: Narrated Killing Lincoln
In 2011, Tom Hanks narrated the television program Killing Lincoln.
2012: Narrated The Road We've Traveled
In 2012, Tom Hanks narrated a documentary called The Road We've Traveled, created by Obama for America.
2012: Primetime Emmy Award Nomination for Game Change
In 2012, Tom Hanks received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for his work as a producer on the television film Game Change.
2012: Electric City, Cloud Atlas, and Game Change
In 2012, Tom Hanks voiced Cleveland Carr for his web series Electric City. He played multiple parts in Cloud Atlas and was executive producer of the miniseries Game Change.
2013: Tony Award Nomination for Lucky Guy
In 2013, Tom Hanks received a Tony Award nomination for Best Actor in a Play for his performance in Nora Ephron's play Lucky Guy.
2013: Captain Phillips, Saving Mr. Banks and Broadway debut
In 2013, Tom Hanks starred in Captain Phillips and Saving Mr. Banks, receiving nominations for awards. He also made his Broadway debut in Lucky Guy, receiving a Tony Award nomination.
2013: Starring in Lucky Guy on Broadway
In 2013, while starring in Nora Ephron's Lucky Guy on Broadway, Tom Hanks had large crowds of fans waiting after each performance.
August 2014: Release of Hanx Writer iOS App
In August 2014, Tom Hanks released Hanx Writer, an iOS app meant to emulate a typewriter, which quickly became number one on the App Store.
2014: Publishes short story
In 2014, Tom Hanks' short story "Alan Bean Plus Four" was published in The New Yorker. The story revolves around four friends who make a voyage to the moon and is titled after the Apollo 12 astronaut Alan Bean.
March 2015: Appears in Carly Rae Jepsen's music video
In March 2015, Tom Hanks appeared in the music video for Carly Rae Jepsen's "I Really Like You", lip-syncing most of the song's lyrics.
2015: Primetime Emmy Award Nomination for Olive Kitteridge
In 2015, Tom Hanks received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for his work as a producer on the limited series Olive Kitteridge.
April 2016: Stars in A Hologram for the King
In April 2016, Tom Hanks starred as Alan Clay in the comedy-drama A Hologram for the King, an adaptation of the 2012 novel of the same name.
2016: Endorsed Hillary Clinton
In 2016, Tom Hanks endorsed former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election.
2016: Sully and Inferno releases
In 2016, Tom Hanks starred as airline captain Chesley Sullenberger in Clint Eastwood's Sully and reprised his role as Robert Langdon in Inferno.
March 2017: Production of Masters of the Air Progressing
In March 2017, it was reported that production was progressing on the miniseries Masters of the Air, under the working title The Mighty Eighth, with Tom Hanks as executive producer.
October 28, 2017: The David S. Pumpkins Halloween Special airs
On October 28, 2017, Tom Hanks voiced David S. Pumpkins in The David S. Pumpkins Halloween Special on NBC, a character he had portrayed on Saturday Night Live.
2017: Donated espresso machines to the White House press corps
In 2017, Tom Hanks donated new espresso machines to the White House press corps, along with a note about truth and justice.
2017: Publication of Uncommon Type
In 2017, Tom Hanks's collection of short stories, Uncommon Type, was published.
July 2018: Role in bringing attention to Mati wildfire
In July 2018, Tom Hanks and his family played a role in bringing global attention and appealing for aid after a devastating wildfire in Mati, Greece.
October 11, 2019: Masters of the Air to Stream on Apple TV+
On October 11, 2019, it was announced that the miniseries Masters of the Air would keep its original title and stream on Apple TV+, with Tom Hanks as executive producer.
2019: Toy Story 4 and A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
In 2019, Tom Hanks reprised his role as Sheriff Woody in Pixar's Toy Story 4. He portrayed Fred Rogers in A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, receiving an Academy Award nomination.
April 11, 2020: Hosts Saturday Night Live after COVID-19 diagnosis
On April 11, 2020, Tom Hanks hosted Saturday Night Live, making his first television appearance since his COVID-19 diagnosis. He delivered an opening monologue from his house.
June 2020: Greyhound release planned
In June 2020, Greyhound, a war film written by Tom Hanks, was initially set to be released theatrically by Sony Pictures.
July 2020: Greyhound released on Apple TV+
In July 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, distribution rights to the film Greyhound were bought by Apple TV+, where it was released.
December 2020: Confirmed Involvement in Pinocchio
In December 2020, it was officially confirmed that Tom Hanks would be playing Geppetto in Walt Disney Studios' live-action adaptation of Pinocchio.
2020: Endorsed Joe Biden in presidential election
In 2020, Tom Hanks endorsed former Vice President Joe Biden in the presidential election.
2021: Finch release
In 2021, Tom Hanks starred in the science fiction drama Finch, directed by Miguel Sapochnik, and released by Apple TV+.
March 2, 2022: Interviewed on 'Dead Eyes' podcast
On March 2, 2022, Tom Hanks was interviewed for the season three finale of Connor Ratliff's podcast Dead Eyes, 22 years after Ratliff was fired from Band of Brothers.
June 2022: Elvis Release
In June 2022, Tom Hanks starred as Tom Parker in Baz Luhrmann's Elvis, which was released in theaters after shooting commenced in Queensland, Australia, in early 2020.
September 8, 2022: Pinocchio Release
On September 8, 2022, Tom Hanks starred as Geppetto in Walt Disney Studios' live-action adaptation of Pinocchio, which was released on Disney+.
2022: Son Truman portrayed young version of father in A Man Called Otto
In 2022, Tom Hanks's younger son, Truman, portrayed the younger version of his father's character in A Man Called Otto.
May 2023: Publication of The Making of Another Major Motion Picture Masterpiece
In May 2023, Tom Hanks's debut novel, The Making of Another Major Motion Picture Masterpiece, was published.
June 2023: Asteroid City Release
In June 2023, Tom Hanks appeared in Wes Anderson's Asteroid City, which premiered at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival and was released in theaters.
2023: Founded Hanx for the Troops coffee company
In 2023, Tom Hanks founded Hanx for the Troops, a coffee company that supports veterans and military families.
January 26, 2024: Masters of the Air Premieres on Apple TV+
On January 26, 2024, Masters of the Air premiered on Apple TV+, with Tom Hanks as executive producer.
April 2025: Narration of The Americas Documentary Series
In April 2025, Tom Hanks narrated the NBC documentary series The Americas.
May 2025: Supporting Role in The Phoenician Scheme
In May 2025, Tom Hanks played a supporting role in Wes Anderson's The Phoenician Scheme.
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