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Tom Hanks: A Lifetime of Achievement
From: American Film Institute
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EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION |
From lighthearted comedies such as Splash and Big, to serious roles in films such as Philadelphia and Saving Private Ryan, Tom Hanks has proven to  audiences and critics his ability to take on any challenge in the motion picture profession. Whether acting, writing, directing or producing, the achievements of Hanks (right) have made him one of film's highest paid professionals and gained him numerous awards--Hanks has been nominated for 5 Academy Awards, winning back-to-back Oscars in 1994 and 1995.
In 2002, the American Film Institute recognized the entire career of Hanks, honoring him with the AFI Life Achievement Award, an honor bestowed upon individuals whose work in motion pictures or television has greatly contributed to the enrichment of American culture. |
 om Hanks has been selected by the American Film Institute's (AFI) Board of Trustees to receive the 30th AFI Life Achievement Award. |
The highest honor given for a career in film, the AFI Life Achievement Award was established by the AFI Board of Trustees on February 26, 1973, and is presented to a single honoree each year based on the following criteria: The recipient should be one "whose talent has in a fundamental way advanced the film art; whose accomplishment has been acknowledged by scholars, critics, professional peers and the general public; and whose work has stood the test of time." In 1993, the trustees extended the criteria to encompass "individuals with active careers and work of significance yet to be accomplished." |
"Tom Hanks is American film's Everyman for a new generation. It is fitting that he receive the 30th AFI Life Achievement Award from the nation's preeminent cultural arts organization as his talent and commitment to his craft is only matched by his great respect for and understanding of American history," stated Howard Stringer, Chair of the AFI Board of Trustees. |
Tom Hanks--actor, producer, writer and director--has an off-screen appeal that recalls former Life Achievement Award recipients James Stewart and Henry Fonda. Master of comedy and drama, Hanks has been nominated five times for the Academy Award and has won two for his work on the films Philadelphia and Forrest Gump, becoming the first man since Spencer Tracy to receive back-to-back Academy Awards for Best Actor. He was also the recipient of an Emmy Award in 1998. |
In his first film, Ron Howard's Splash, Hanks' portrayal of an ordinary man in love with a mermaid, played by Daryl Hannah, struck a chord with audiences and launched his career as a leading man. After numerous romantic comedies throughout the 1980s, Hanks received his first Academy Award nomination for Best Actor for his comic, endearing portrayal of a young boy trapped in a man's body in Penny Marshall's Big (1988). |
After starring opposite Meg Ryan in Nora Ephron's Sleepless In Seattle (1993), Hanks surprised audiences and critics by taking on the dramatic role of a gay lawyer dying of AIDS in Jonathan Demme's Philadelphia (1993). Hanks proved his ability to capture the soul of dramatic material and went on to win the Academy Award for Best Actor. The following year, Hanks repeated his Oscar win for Best Actor, playing the title role in Robert Zemeckis' Forrest Gump (1994). |
In 1995, Hanks reteamed with Ron Howard for the Oscar nominated Apollo 13 and provided the voice of Woody in the breakthrough animated film Toy Story. A year later, Hanks moved behind the camera for the first time as writer and director of That Thing You Do! (1996). |
Hanks appeared in three high-profile projects in 1998. The first, From the Earth to the Moon, signaled a new phase in Hanks' career--an increased presence behind the camera in projects that celebrate America's history and the human spirit. From the Earth to the Moon was HBO's Emmy-winning space series which Hanks executive produced, hosted and also served as director for one episode, and writer for four others. |
Also in 1998, Hanks starred in Steven Spielberg's WWII drama Saving Private Ryan (for which he received another Oscar nomination) and Nora Ephron's comedy You've Got Mail. In 1999, Hanks returned as the voice of Woody in Toy Story 2 and won critical acclaim in the Oscar-nominated The Green Mile. |
In 2000, Hanks had the starring role in Cast Away, which garnered him an Oscar nomination for Best Actor. In that same year, he also hosted Shooting War, a two-hour television special about WWII combat cameramen produced by Spielberg and written, co-produced and directed by Richard Schickel, a renowned film critic for Time magazine. |
In 2001, Hanks re-teamed with Spielberg to produce Band of Brothers for HBO, the TV mini-series event based on WWII historian Stephen Ambrose's non-fiction book about an Army rifle company parachuting into France on D-Day. Hanks also co-wrote one episode and directed one episode. |
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