Tom Hanks - A League of His Own

by Libby Pelham | More from this Blogger

Tom Hanks is one of my favorite actors. But then I jumped on the Tom Hanks boat early on. I never, ever missed a single episode of Bosom Buddies. It featured Tom and Peter Scolari as men forced to dress as women to live in an all-girls hotel. A long road took Tom from Bosum Buddies to Academy Award winner. Even back in 1980 while filming Bosom Buddies, co-producer Ian Praiser said he knew Hanks would be a movie star one day. When Bosom Buddies was cancelled after two years, director Ron Howard came calling. He was directing a new comedy about a mermaid and was looking for actors. Originally, Howard planned to use Hanks as the wisecracking brother, but instead gave him the lead role. Splash went on to gross more than $100 million, making stars of its leads, Tom Hanks and Daryl Hannah.

Tom stuck with comedies after Splash including Nothing in Common, The Money Pit (one of my personal favorites), and Bachelor Party. It was only when Tom starred in 1988's Big, a story about a boy turned into a man, that he struck blockbuster success again. Yet, after Big, he had a string of box-office failures. The 'Burbs, Joe Versus the Volcano, and The Bonfire of the Vanities seemed determined to push Tom back into obscurity.

However, just when people were starting to count Tom out, he came back in a big way. A League of Their Own was quickly followed by Sleepless in Seattle. Then Tom got the role of a lifetime as lawyer Andrew Beckett fired for having AIDS in Philadelphia. His role won him the Best Actor Oscar in 1994.

Some people though it was a fluke as Tom had primarily been thought of a comedic actor. He followed up Philadelphia with another blockbuster, Forrest Gump and did something only one other actor (Spencer Tracy) had done - received back to back Best Actor Oscars.

Since then, it seems as if Tom can do no wrong, starring in the gripping Apollo 13, The Green Mile, and Catch Me If You Can. He also received two more Academy Award nominations for Best Actor for Saving Private Ryan and Castaway.

For all his success, Tom Hanks still seems like a humble, likable guy.

What is your favorite Tom Hanks movie?

Learn more about Libby Pelham

Libby Pelham is a web designer/freelance writer located in Memphis, TN. She has a beautiful little boy, Will, born in July of 2004.

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