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 celebrated American actor and filmmaker, recognized globally for his versatility in both comedic and dramatic roles, cementing his status as an American cultural icon. He is among the highest-grossing American film actors, boasting a collection of prestigious accolades, including two Academy Awards, multiple Emmy and Golden Globe Awards, and nominations for BAFTA and Tony Awards. Hanks' contributions to the film industry have been further honored with the AFI Life Achievement Award, the Kennedy Center Honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and the Cecil B. DeMille Award.
1993: Academy Award Nomination and Win
In 1993, Tom Hanks received an Academy Award nomination and win for Best Actor for his role in Philadelphia.
1994: Consecutive Academy Award Win
In 1994, Tom Hanks received his second consecutive Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in Forrest Gump.
1998: Primetime Emmy Award Nomination and Win for From the Earth to the Moon
In 1998, Tom Hanks received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination and win 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 Release
In 1998, Tom Hanks starred in Saving Private Ryan, directed by Steven Spielberg, a critically acclaimed war film. Later in 1998, he also starred in You've Got Mail, a remake of The Shop Around the Corner, reuniting with Ephron and Ryan.
1999: The Green Mile and Toy Story 2 Release
In 1999, Tom Hanks starred in The Green Mile, based on the novel by Stephen King, and reprised his role as Woody in Toy Story 2.
2000: Cast Away Release
In 2000, Tom Hanks starred in Cast Away, playing a FedEx systems analyst marooned on an island.
2001: Band of Brothers Miniseries
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 and the documentary Rescued From the Closet.
2002: Primetime Emmy Award Win for Band of Brothers
In 2002, Tom Hanks received a Primetime Emmy Award for his work as a producer on the limited series Band of Brothers.
2004: Multiple Film Appearances
In 2004, Tom Hanks appeared in three films: The Coen brothers' The Ladykillers, Steven Spielberg's The Terminal, and Robert Zemeckis's The Polar Express.
2004: First Espresso Machine Donation to White House Press Corps
In 2004, Tom Hanks donated an espresso machine to the White House press corps after learning they lacked 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: Induction into 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 for his accurate portrayal of a captain in the movie Saving Private Ryan.
2006: The Da Vinci Code and Most Trusted Celebrity
In 2006, Tom Hanks starred in The Da Vinci Code, which grossed over US$750 million worldwide. Also in 2006, he topped a list of "most trusted celebrities" compiled by Forbes magazine, and produced the animated children's movie The Ant Bully and Starter for Ten.
2006: Douglas S. Morrow Public Outreach Award
In 2006, the Space Foundation awarded Tom Hanks the Douglas S. Morrow Public Outreach Award for his significant contributions to public awareness of space programs.
April 11, 2007: Angels & Demons Announcement
On April 11, 2007, it was announced that Tom Hanks would reprise his role as Robert Langdon in Angels & Demons and made his 10th appearance on Saturday Night Live.
2007: Voice Work, The Simpsons Movie, and Charlie Wilson's War
In 2007, Tom Hanks did voice work for Ken Burns's documentary The War, voiced himself in The Simpsons Movie, and starred in Mike Nichols's Charlie Wilson's War.
March 10, 2008: Induction of The Dave Clark Five into Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
On March 10, 2008, Tom Hanks was on hand at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame to induct The Dave Clark Five.
2008: Endorsement of 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 Win for John Adams
In 2008, Tom Hanks received a Primetime Emmy Award for his work as a producer on the limited series John Adams.
2008: The Great Buck Howard, Mamma Mia!, and John Adams
In 2008, Tom Hanks starred in The Great Buck Howard, and executive produced the musical comedy 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. He also produced Spike Jonze's Where The Wild Things Are.
2010: Second Espresso Machine Donation to White House Press Corps
In 2010, Tom Hanks donated new espresso machines to the White House press corps.
2010: Primetime Emmy Award Win for The Pacific
In 2010, Tom Hanks received a Primetime Emmy Award for his work as a producer on the limited 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, and he executive produced the miniseries The Pacific.
2011: Larry Crowne and Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
In 2011, Tom Hanks directed and starred in Larry Crowne, which received poor reviews, and also starred in the drama Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close.
2011: Narration of Killing Lincoln
In 2011, Tom Hanks narrated the television program Killing Lincoln.
2012: Narration of The Road We've Traveled
In 2012, Tom Hanks narrated The Road We've Traveled, a documentary created by Obama for America.
2012: Primetime Emmy Award Win for Game Change
In 2012, Tom Hanks received a Primetime Emmy Award 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, played multiple parts in Cloud Atlas, and executive produced the miniseries Game Change.
2013: Tony Award Nomination
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 critical acclaim and award nominations. He also made his Broadway debut in Lucky Guy.
2013: Starring in Lucky Guy on Broadway
In 2013, Tom Hanks starred in Nora Ephron's Lucky Guy on Broadway and attracted large crowds of fans after each performance.
August 2014: Release of Hanx Writer App
In August 2014, Tom Hanks released Hanx Writer, an iOS app meant to emulate the experience of using a typewriter. The app quickly reached number one on the App Store.
2014: Publication of Alan Bean Plus Four
In 2014, Tom Hanks' short story "Alan Bean Plus Four" was published in The New Yorker, revolving around four friends' voyage to the moon. It was named after Apollo 12 astronaut Alan Bean.
March 2015: Music Video Appearance
In March 2015, Tom Hanks appeared in the music video for Carly Rae Jepsen's "I Really Like You", lip-syncing the song's lyrics.
2015: Primetime Emmy Award Win for Olive Kitteridge
In 2015, Tom Hanks received a Primetime Emmy Award for his work as a producer on the limited series Olive Kitteridge.
April 2016: A Hologram for the King Release
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: Endorsement of 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 Chesley Sullenberger in Sully, and reprised his role as Robert Langdon in Inferno.
March 2017: The Mighty Eighth Production Progress
In March 2017, NME reported that production was progressing on the World War II miniseries under the working title The Mighty Eighth, later known as Masters of the Air.
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 in Saturday Night Live episodes.
2017: Third Espresso Machine Donation to White House Press Corps
In 2017, Tom Hanks donated new espresso machines to the White House press corps for a third time, accompanied by a note encouraging the fight for truth and justice.
2017: Publication of Uncommon Type
In 2017, Tom Hanks' collection of short stories inspired by his typewriter collection, Uncommon Type, was published.
July 2018: Wildfire in Mati, Greece
In July 2018, a devastating wildfire ripped through the seaside village of Mati, near Athens, Greece, killing more than 100 people. Tom Hanks and his family's efforts to bring attention and aid to the victims contributed to their honorary citizenship.
October 11, 2019: Masters of the Air to Stream on Apple TV+
On October 11, 2019, it was announced that Masters of the Air would stream on Apple TV+ due to budget constraints at HBO.
December 27, 2019: Honorary Naturalization Order by Greece
On December 27, 2019, the President of Greece signed an honorary naturalization order for Tom Hanks and his family, making them Greek citizens due to their "exceptional services to Greece".
2019: Toy Story 4 and A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
In 2019, Tom Hanks reprised his role as Sheriff Woody in Toy Story 4 and portrayed Fred Rogers in A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, earning an Academy Award nomination.
April 11, 2020: SNL Hosting Debut After COVID-19 Diagnosis
On April 11, 2020, Tom Hanks hosted Saturday Night Live, his first television appearance since his COVID-19 diagnosis. The episode was unique, featuring remotely filmed sketches due to the pandemic.
June 2020: Greyhound Distribution Rights Acquired by Apple TV+
In June 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the distribution rights to Greyhound, a war film starring and written by Tom Hanks, were bought by Apple TV+ after initially being set for theatrical release by Sony Pictures.
July 2020: Greyhound Released on Apple TV+
In July 2020, Greyhound, starring and written by Tom Hanks, was released on Apple TV+ after its distribution rights were acquired due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
December 2020: Confirmed for Pinocchio
In December 2020, Tom Hanks' involvement in Walt Disney Studios' live-action adaptation of Pinocchio was officially confirmed.
2020: Endorsement of Joe Biden
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: Dead Eyes Podcast Interview
On March 2, 2022, Tom Hanks was interviewed on Connor Ratliff's podcast Dead Eyes, 22 years after Ratliff was fired from Band of Brothers, allegedly because Hanks thought he had "dead eyes".
June 2022: Elvis Release
In June 2022, Tom Hanks starred as Tom Parker, the manager of Elvis Presley, in Baz Luhrmann's Elvis.
September 8, 2022: Pinocchio Release on Disney+
On September 8, 2022, Tom Hanks starred as Geppetto in Walt Disney Studios' live-action adaptation of Pinocchio, released on Disney+.
2022: Truman Hanks Portrays Younger Version of His Father
In 2022, Tom Hanks' 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' 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 Cannes Film Festival and was released in theaters.
2023: Founding 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 January 26, 2024, Masters of the Air premiered on Apple TV+.
October 2024: Release of Here and SNL 50th Anniversary
In October 2024, the feature adaptation of Richard McGuire's graphic novel Here was released, reuniting Hanks with Forrest Gump co-star Robin Wright and director Robert Zemeckis. Tom Hanks also attended the Saturday Night Live 50th Anniversary Special.
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