Tom Hanks is a living legend. When you hear his name, dozens of his papers are likely to reach your brain. The two-time Oscar winner has played so many iconic characters and, at times, has even done memorable work in films that perhaps weren't so good. This is a ranking of Hanks' 25 most legendary roles over the years.
Speaking of biographies about captains, Hanks was asked much more in “Captain Phillips”. Somehow, I was in an even crazier situation than in “Sully”, as I played the captain of a ship invaded by pilots. The film garnered several Oscar nominations, but surprisingly none went to Hanks. For the first time, Hanks played a character whose name was in the title.
Of course, he was slightly overshadowed by his co-star, the dog who played “Hooch”. However, Hanks was still a burgeoning movie star in 1989, when “Turner & Hooch” came out, and everyone remembers him acting alongside that big, slimy dog. If you're wondering: “When did Tom Hanks become a real movie star?” , the answer is probably in “Big” from 1988. It's the film that took him to the stratosphere. Yes, a film about a child who suddenly becomes an adult is rare, but Hanks somehow makes it work.
That scene where you dance with a giant keyboard? That will remain in the montages of film history until the end of time. Like Captain Miller, Hanks is an enigma. He is a man who has done everything possible to separate his healthy life in his country from the atrocities he had to commit in the war. However, as the film progresses and stress increases, his shield deteriorates in the face of the horrors of war.
All of which Hanks masterfully and respectfully performed, earning Saving Private Ryan the honor of being unquestionably Tom Hanks' best film and role. Arguably Tom Hanks' most beloved performance was his voice as Sheriff Woody Pride in all four “Toy Story” movies. Woody, the protagonist of all the toys in young Andy Davis's room and Andy's personal favorite, has all the special qualities of many of Hanks' live-action heroes: he's courageous, committed and determined to do the right thing, even if he sometimes shows some kind of envy toward Buzz Lightyear. When Andy leaves for college at the end of “Toy Story 3”, the toys are given to a new owner, a kindergarten girl named Bonnie, and Woody must face the concern of not being as needed and loved by Bonnie as he was with Andy.
