orig. Thomas J. Hanks
born July 9, 1956, Concord, Calif., U.S.
U.S. film actor.
He displayed a flair for light comedy in the television series Bosom Buddies (198082) then became a film star in the comedies Splash (1984) and Big (1988). After winning praise for A League of Their Own (1992) and the romantic hit Sleepless in Seattle (1993), he proved himself an accomplished dramatic actor in Philadelphia (1993, Academy Award), Forrest Gump (1994, Academy Award), Apollo 13 (1995), Saving Private Ryan (1998), and Cast Away (2000). He made his debut as director and screenwriter with That Thing You Do (1996).