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 and popular American actor and filmmaker, recognized globally as an American cultural icon. He is one of the highest-grossing American film actors, boasting numerous awards including two Academy Awards, seven Emmy Awards, and four Golden Globe Awards. He has also received the AFI Life Achievement Award, the Kennedy Center Honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and the Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award, solidifying his significant contributions to the film industry.
1980: Appeared in TV comedy Bosom Buddies
From 1980 to 1982, Tom Hanks appeared in the TV comedy Bosom Buddies.
1993: Academy Award for Philadelphia
In 1993, Tom Hanks won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in Philadelphia.
1994: Academy Award for Forrest Gump
In 1994, Tom Hanks won his second consecutive Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in Forrest Gump.
1998: Primetime Emmy Award for From the Earth to the Moon
In 1998, Tom Hanks received a Primetime Emmy Award for his work as a producer on From the Earth to the Moon.
1998: Saving Private Ryan and You've Got Mail
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 critically acclaimed and earned Spielberg an Academy Award. Later in 1998, Hanks also starred in 'You've Got Mail' with Meg Ryan.
1999: The Green Mile and Toy Story 2
In 1999, Tom Hanks starred in 'The Green Mile', based on the Stephen King novel, and reprised his role as Woody in 'Toy Story 2'.
2000: Cast Away
In 2000, Tom Hanks reunited with Robert Zemeckis for 'Cast Away', where he played a FedEx systems analyst marooned on an island.
2001: Band of Brothers
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 for Band of Brothers
In 2002, Tom Hanks received a Primetime Emmy Award for his work as a producer on Band of Brothers.
2004: The Ladykillers, The Terminal and The Polar Express
In 2004, Tom Hanks appeared in three films: 'The Ladykillers', 'The Terminal', and 'The Polar Express', a family film where he played multiple motion capture roles.
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 did not have a coffee pot.
August 2005: Vice President of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
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 portrayal of a captain in Saving Private Ryan and other contributions.
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, Hanks topped a list of "most trusted celebrities" compiled by Forbes magazine. He also produced '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 contributions to public awareness of space programs.
April 11, 2007: Announcement for Angels & Demons and Saturday Night Live
On April 11, 2007, it was announced that Tom Hanks would reprise his role as Robert Langdon in 'Angels & Demons' and he would reportedly receive the highest salary ever for an actor. The following day he made his 10th appearance on NBC's 'Saturday Night Live', impersonating himself for the Celebrity Jeopardy sketch.
2007: The War, 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 '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 inducted The Dave Clark Five into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
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 for John Adams
In 2008, Tom Hanks received a Primetime Emmy Award for his work as a producer on 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' and produced 'Where The Wild Things Are'.
2010: Second Espresso Machine donation to White House press corps
In 2010, Tom Hanks donated new espresso machine to the White House press corps.
2010: Primetime Emmy Award for The Pacific
In 2010, Tom Hanks received a Primetime Emmy Award for his work as a producer on The Pacific.
2010: Toy Story 3 and The Pacific
In 2010, Tom Hanks reprised his role of Woody in 'Toy Story 3' and 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' and also starred in the drama 'Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close'.
2011: Narrated 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 a documentary, The Road We've Traveled, created by Obama for America.
2012: Cloud Atlas
In 2012, Tom Hanks played multiple roles in 'Cloud Atlas', a film directed by Tom Tykwer.
2012: Primetime Emmy Award for Game Change
In 2012, Tom Hanks received a Primetime Emmy Award for his work as a producer on Game Change.
2012: Electric City, Cloud Atlas and Game Change
In 2012, Tom Hanks voiced the character Cleveland Carr for a web series he created, 'Electric City'. He played multiple parts in 'Cloud Atlas' and was executive producer of the miniseries 'Game Change'.
January 2013: HBO Developing Masters of the Air
In January 2013, HBO confirmed it was developing a third World War II miniseries, 'Masters of the Air', with Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg, as a follow-up to 'Band of Brothers' and 'The Pacific'.
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 Lucky Guy
In 2013, Tom Hanks starred in 'Captain Phillips' and 'Saving Mr. Banks'. He also made his Broadway debut in Nora Ephron's 'Lucky Guy', for which he was nominated for a Tony Award.
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, the highest number for any Broadway performance.
August 2014: Release of Hanx Writer app
In August 2014, Tom Hanks released Hanx Writer, an iOS app that emulates the experience of using a typewriter.
2014: Alan Bean Plus Four Short Story
In 2014, Tom Hanks' short story 'Alan Bean Plus Four' was published in The New Yorker. It revolves around four friends who make a voyage to the moon.
March 2015: I Really Like You Music Video
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 for Olive Kitteridge
In 2015, Tom Hanks received a Primetime Emmy Award for his work as a producer on Olive Kitteridge.
April 2016: 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.
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
In 2016, Tom Hanks starred as Chesley Sullenberger in 'Sully' and reprised his role as Robert Langdon in 'Inferno'.
March 2017: Masters of the Air Progressing
In March 2017, NME reported that production of 'Masters of the Air' was progressing under the working title 'The Mighty Eighth'.
October 28, 2017: The David S. Pumpkins Halloween Special
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 episodes of Saturday Night Live.
2017: Third Espresso Machine donation to White House press corps
In 2017, Tom Hanks donated a new espresso machine to the White House press corps, accompanied by a note about truth and justice.
2017: Publication of Uncommon Type
In 2017, Tom Hanks's collection of short stories, Uncommon Type, inspired by his typewriter collection, was published.
July 2018: Wildfire in Mati, Greece
In July 2018, a devastating wildfire ripped through the seaside village of Mati, near Athens, which killed more than 100 people, leading to Hanks' efforts in bringing global attention and appealing for aid, which eventually led to him becoming an honorary Greek citizen.
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.
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', for which he was nominated for an Academy Award.
April 11, 2020: Saturday Night Live Hosting After COVID-19 Diagnosis
On April 11, 2020, Tom Hanks hosted Saturday Night Live, marking his first television appearance since his COVID-19 diagnosis. He delivered an opening monologue remotely and did not appear in any sketches.
June 2020: Greyhound Theatrical Release Cancelled
In June 2020, 'Greyhound', a war film starring and written by Tom Hanks, was initially set for theatrical release by Sony Pictures, but its distribution rights were bought by Apple TV+ due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
July 2020: Greyhound Released on Apple TV+
In July 2020, 'Greyhound', a war film starring and written by Tom Hanks, was released on Apple TV+ after its theatrical release was cancelled.
December 2020: Confirmed Role in Pinocchio
In December 2020, Tom Hanks' involvement as Geppetto 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 2020 presidential election.
2021: Finch
In 2021, Tom Hanks starred in the science fiction drama 'Finch', directed by Miguel Sapochnik, and released by Apple TV+.
March 2, 2022: Interview on Dead Eyes Podcast
On March 2, 2022, Tom Hanks was interviewed on Connor Ratliff's podcast 'Dead Eyes', 22 years after Ratliff was allegedly fired from 'Band of Brothers' due to Hanks believing Ratliff had "dead eyes".
June 2022: Elvis
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 young Tom Hanks in A Man Called Otto
In 2022, Truman Hanks 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 Premiere
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 January 26, 2024, 'Masters of the Air' premiered on Apple TV+.
October 2024: Feature Adaptation of Here Release
In October 2024, a feature adaptation of Richard McGuire's graphic novel 'Here' was released, reuniting Tom Hanks with Robin Wright and Robert Zemeckis.
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