WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.620 Okay, let's unpack this. If you were asked to 00:00:02.620 --> 00:00:05.519 name, I don't know, the most universally recognized, 00:00:05.879 --> 00:00:08.060 maybe the most trusted American actor of the 00:00:08.060 --> 00:00:10.640 last 40 years. You'd probably land on Tom Hanks. 00:00:10.640 --> 00:00:12.240 You'd immediately land on Thomas Jeffrey Hanks, 00:00:12.279 --> 00:00:14.539 exactly. He's the definition of a cultural icon, 00:00:14.640 --> 00:00:17.640 so much so that he's often just, well, he's affectionately 00:00:17.640 --> 00:00:21.079 called America's dad. And that nickname, America's 00:00:21.079 --> 00:00:23.739 Dad, that's really the whole premise of this 00:00:23.739 --> 00:00:26.539 deep dive. Because everyone knows Tom Hanks, 00:00:26.600 --> 00:00:28.760 right? Of course. They know him as Forrest Gump. 00:00:28.820 --> 00:00:30.879 They know his voice as Woody. They know him as 00:00:30.879 --> 00:00:34.759 Sully landing the plane on the Hudson. Our mission 00:00:34.759 --> 00:00:37.140 here, it isn't just to list his achievements. 00:00:37.299 --> 00:00:41.219 It's to distill the surprising facts, the pivotal 00:00:41.219 --> 00:00:44.039 career moves, and the sheer volume of his off 00:00:44.039 --> 00:00:46.200 -screen work as a producer, a writer, an activist. 00:00:46.460 --> 00:00:50.060 That explains why. Why he has this unique, almost 00:00:50.060 --> 00:00:52.500 untouchable status. This wasn't an accident. 00:00:52.799 --> 00:00:55.780 Absolutely not. It was a series of very intentional, 00:00:56.100 --> 00:00:58.780 very high -stakes moves. And the stack of sources 00:00:58.780 --> 00:01:02.259 we've pulled is, well, it's rich. It covers everything 00:01:02.259 --> 00:01:04.540 from his surprisingly rootless sort of awkward 00:01:04.540 --> 00:01:07.439 childhood right up to his current ventures as 00:01:07.439 --> 00:01:10.120 a prolific filmmaker, a novelist, and even a 00:01:10.120 --> 00:01:13.219 newly naturalized Greek citizen. So what we're 00:01:13.219 --> 00:01:16.439 offering you, the listener, is a shortcut. A 00:01:16.439 --> 00:01:18.519 way to really understand the complete arc of 00:01:18.519 --> 00:01:21.299 a figure who went from, as he described himself, 00:01:21.480 --> 00:01:24.280 a geek and an improv comedian, through a pretty 00:01:24.280 --> 00:01:27.140 rough period of cinematic flops. A really rough 00:01:27.140 --> 00:01:29.319 period. Becoming a consecutive Oscar winner, 00:01:29.519 --> 00:01:32.680 a production mogul, and, you know, arguably the 00:01:32.680 --> 00:01:34.980 most trusted historical voice in Hollywood. It's 00:01:34.980 --> 00:01:36.780 the context that matters most. We're going to 00:01:36.780 --> 00:01:38.400 move through the eras of Hanks chronologically. 00:01:38.640 --> 00:01:40.739 We'll start with the accidental actor, the nomadic 00:01:40.739 --> 00:01:43.150 childhood. Then we'll chart that dramatic pivot 00:01:43.150 --> 00:01:45.090 that defined the 90s. And then we'll analyze 00:01:45.090 --> 00:01:47.709 the rise of his Playtone production Empire, which 00:01:47.709 --> 00:01:50.810 is a story in itself. And finally, we'll synthesize 00:01:50.810 --> 00:01:53.469 this legacy he's built, a legacy founded on advocacy, 00:01:53.790 --> 00:01:57.090 trust, and some surprisingly complex personal 00:01:57.090 --> 00:01:59.129 beliefs. So let's start at the very beginning. 00:01:59.489 --> 00:02:02.730 Concord, California. Thomas Jeffrey Hanks, born 00:02:02.730 --> 00:02:06.750 July 9, 1956. And what immediately jumps out 00:02:06.750 --> 00:02:09.349 from all the sources is that his early life was, 00:02:09.530 --> 00:02:12.960 well... It was anything but stable. It's the 00:02:12.960 --> 00:02:15.199 single largest point of contrast in his whole 00:02:15.199 --> 00:02:18.159 biography. I mean, it's critical context, especially 00:02:18.159 --> 00:02:20.219 when you think about the reliability and the 00:02:20.219 --> 00:02:22.699 moral certainty he projects today. A massive 00:02:22.699 --> 00:02:25.439 contrast. His parents, his mother, Janet Maryland, 00:02:25.659 --> 00:02:27.819 was a hospital worker from a Portuguese family. 00:02:28.080 --> 00:02:31.479 And his father, Amos Budd Hanks, was an itinerant 00:02:31.479 --> 00:02:33.889 cook with English ancestry. They divorced in 00:02:33.889 --> 00:02:36.430 1960. He was only four years old. Just four. 00:02:36.629 --> 00:02:39.250 And that's when, as you said, the stability just 00:02:39.250 --> 00:02:41.770 evaporates. He was constantly moving. He lived 00:02:41.770 --> 00:02:43.610 primarily with his father, who kept moving for 00:02:43.610 --> 00:02:45.770 different jobs, different relationships. Our 00:02:45.770 --> 00:02:48.250 sources detail the sheer physical instability 00:02:48.250 --> 00:02:50.909 of it all. By the time Tom was 10, he had lived 00:02:50.909 --> 00:02:53.289 in 10 different houses. 10 different houses by 00:02:53.289 --> 00:02:56.050 age 10. He moved through foster homes, various 00:02:56.050 --> 00:02:58.270 family members' houses, just transient towns 00:02:58.270 --> 00:03:00.750 all across California. Imagine that lack of grounding. 00:03:01.280 --> 00:03:03.900 I mean, that kind of repeated upheaval during 00:03:03.900 --> 00:03:06.699 those really crucial formative years. Yeah. It 00:03:06.699 --> 00:03:09.240 often manifests later as an intense need for 00:03:09.240 --> 00:03:12.979 stability or control or maybe. An ability to 00:03:12.979 --> 00:03:15.180 adapt very, very quickly to new environments. 00:03:15.439 --> 00:03:17.560 He was always the new kid. Always the new kid. 00:03:17.620 --> 00:03:19.919 Always having to read the room fast, which, you 00:03:19.919 --> 00:03:22.020 know, is a fantastic skill for an actor. But 00:03:22.020 --> 00:03:24.500 it's got to be exhausting for a child. I wonder 00:03:24.500 --> 00:03:26.800 if that feeling of being an outsider, if that's 00:03:26.800 --> 00:03:29.400 what contributed to his initial social awkwardness. 00:03:29.560 --> 00:03:32.759 He described his teenage self as horribly, painfully, 00:03:32.759 --> 00:03:35.780 terribly shy. He even labeled himself a geek, 00:03:35.960 --> 00:03:38.900 a spaz. And yet that instability wasn't just 00:03:38.900 --> 00:03:42.340 geographical. It was also religious. His background 00:03:42.340 --> 00:03:44.419 included both Catholic and Mormon influences, 00:03:44.520 --> 00:03:47.039 and one journalist even characterized him for 00:03:47.039 --> 00:03:50.360 a few years as a Bible -toting evangelical teenager. 00:03:50.719 --> 00:03:53.360 That religious searching, it feels like a young 00:03:53.360 --> 00:03:55.580 person trying to find some kind of structure, 00:03:55.699 --> 00:03:58.219 some certainty in a life that was just chaotic. 00:03:58.819 --> 00:04:02.180 Exactly. But here's the paradox. Even while being 00:04:02.180 --> 00:04:05.759 horribly shy, he was also the class clown. He 00:04:05.759 --> 00:04:07.580 was the guy who'd yell out funny captions during 00:04:07.580 --> 00:04:12.560 film strips. How does a terribly shy person simultaneously 00:04:12.560 --> 00:04:16.240 crave the spotlight enough to do that? I think 00:04:16.240 --> 00:04:18.420 theater was the answer. It gave him permission. 00:04:18.699 --> 00:04:20.819 You know, it gave him a framework to channel 00:04:20.819 --> 00:04:23.379 that energy and humor through a persona, which 00:04:23.379 --> 00:04:25.500 is a much safer way to express yourself. It's 00:04:25.500 --> 00:04:28.160 a mask. Right. He acted in high school plays, 00:04:28.319 --> 00:04:30.620 most notably South Pacific at Skyline High School. 00:04:30.860 --> 00:04:33.180 That's where he found his tribe. He then tried 00:04:33.180 --> 00:04:35.579 to formalize it, studying theater at Chabot College. 00:04:35.740 --> 00:04:37.920 And then he transferred to California State University, 00:04:38.220 --> 00:04:41.019 Sacramento. But here's the critical pivot. You 00:04:41.019 --> 00:04:43.699 didn't finish. He dropped out, which for a student 00:04:43.699 --> 00:04:45.600 who's dedicated to learning, that can sound like 00:04:45.600 --> 00:04:48.500 failure. But in his case, it was the exact opposite. 00:04:48.639 --> 00:04:51.079 It turned out to be the most pivotal non -acting 00:04:51.079 --> 00:04:54.019 decision of his entire early career. He met a 00:04:54.019 --> 00:04:56.319 man named Vincent Dowling, the head of the Great 00:04:56.319 --> 00:04:59.439 Lakes Theater Festival in Cleveland, Ohio. Dowling 00:04:59.439 --> 00:05:01.800 saw something in him, and this led to a three 00:05:01.800 --> 00:05:04.589 -year full immersion internship. And this wasn't 00:05:04.589 --> 00:05:06.430 some cushy apprenticeship where he got the starring 00:05:06.430 --> 00:05:09.629 roles. This was foundational labor. Oh yeah. 00:05:09.850 --> 00:05:12.670 He covered all aspects of production. He learned 00:05:12.670 --> 00:05:16.329 lighting, set design, stage management. He absorbed 00:05:16.329 --> 00:05:18.790 the entire craft of making theater, not just 00:05:18.790 --> 00:05:21.389 performing in it. It turned him into a serious 00:05:21.389 --> 00:05:23.529 theater professional. And he proved his acting 00:05:23.529 --> 00:05:26.550 chops were serious too, even back then. and way 00:05:26.550 --> 00:05:29.509 outside of comedy in 1978 while he was still 00:05:29.509 --> 00:05:31.750 an intern he won the cleveland critics circle 00:05:31.750 --> 00:05:34.170 award for best actor and get this for playing 00:05:34.170 --> 00:05:36.629 proteus in shakespeare's the two gentlemen of 00:05:36.629 --> 00:05:39.500 verona Which is a complex, almost villainous 00:05:39.500 --> 00:05:41.980 character. He betrays his friend. He attempts 00:05:41.980 --> 00:05:44.879 an assault. It's a dark role. It's a fascinating 00:05:44.879 --> 00:05:46.959 detail because if you look at his output for 00:05:46.959 --> 00:05:49.819 the next 40 years, villainy is, well, it's virtually 00:05:49.819 --> 00:05:52.120 absent. It shows the intrinsic range was there 00:05:52.120 --> 00:05:54.660 from the start. But Hollywood saw his comedic 00:05:54.660 --> 00:05:58.199 flair and just distilled his persona into the 00:05:58.199 --> 00:06:01.279 trustworthy, morally centered. Every man. The 00:06:01.279 --> 00:06:03.339 industry decided what he was for them. Pretty 00:06:03.339 --> 00:06:05.379 much. And that decision was helped along once 00:06:05.379 --> 00:06:08.399 he moved to New York City in 1979. He did make 00:06:08.399 --> 00:06:11.399 his film debut in 1980 in a low -budget slasher 00:06:11.399 --> 00:06:15.019 film. He knows you're alone, which is just bizarre 00:06:15.019 --> 00:06:17.500 casting for the future Tom Hanks. But the real 00:06:17.500 --> 00:06:19.420 launch pad, the thing that put him on the map 00:06:19.420 --> 00:06:22.779 for the masses, was television. He got the co 00:06:22.779 --> 00:06:26.160 -lead role as Kip Wilson. in the abc sitcom bosom 00:06:26.160 --> 00:06:29.699 buddies that ran from 1980 to 1982. it was pure 00:06:29.699 --> 00:06:33.579 80s high concept absurdity he and peter scolari 00:06:33.579 --> 00:06:36.300 played two ad men who had to dress as women to 00:06:36.300 --> 00:06:39.300 live in a cheap all -female hotel it was basically 00:06:39.300 --> 00:06:42.740 something like Hot for TV, but it absolutely 00:06:42.740 --> 00:06:45.240 worked to showcase his comic timing and his, 00:06:45.279 --> 00:06:48.540 I mean, incredible screen presence. One co -producer 00:06:48.540 --> 00:06:50.779 famously said, too bad he won't be in television 00:06:50.779 --> 00:06:52.579 for long. I knew he'd be a movie star in two 00:06:52.579 --> 00:06:55.120 years. The charisma was just undeniable, even 00:06:55.120 --> 00:06:57.060 under a terrible wig. And this is where that 00:06:57.060 --> 00:06:59.439 thread of sheer luck combined with preparedness. 00:07:00.120 --> 00:07:02.259 comes into play. The connection that really launched 00:07:02.259 --> 00:07:04.899 him from sitcom star to feature film lead came 00:07:04.899 --> 00:07:06.819 from the most surprising place. A guest appearance 00:07:06.819 --> 00:07:10.100 on Happy Days in 1982. Exactly. So the past wasn't 00:07:10.100 --> 00:07:11.879 a straight line from Bosom Buddies to the movies. 00:07:12.060 --> 00:07:14.519 No, it was the Happy Days writers who saw him 00:07:14.519 --> 00:07:16.759 and suggested him to the former star of the show, 00:07:16.860 --> 00:07:19.279 Ron Howard, who was looking for a lead for his 00:07:19.279 --> 00:07:22.879 new project, Splash. An incredible bit of accidental 00:07:22.879 --> 00:07:26.149 history. That guest spot was basically his audition. 00:07:26.370 --> 00:07:30.069 And Splash, released in 1984, was a surprise 00:07:30.069 --> 00:07:33.750 box office hit. It grossed over $69 million and 00:07:33.750 --> 00:07:36.850 immediately set him up as this lovable comedic 00:07:36.850 --> 00:07:39.389 lead. He followed that up with Bachelor Party, 00:07:39.589 --> 00:07:42.529 also in 84, which kind of confirmed his position 00:07:42.529 --> 00:07:45.569 as this fun, goofy, if maybe a little lightweight 00:07:45.569 --> 00:07:47.970 comedy star. He really seemed like he was heading 00:07:47.970 --> 00:07:49.990 down the road of, you know, a Bill Murray or 00:07:49.990 --> 00:07:52.470 a Chevy Chase. Yeah. But then came the crucial 00:07:52.470 --> 00:07:55.529 pivot. The first clear instance of Hank's choosing 00:07:55.529 --> 00:07:58.250 depth over an easy paycheck. And that pivot was 00:07:58.250 --> 00:08:01.629 the dramedy Nothing in Common in 1986. He played 00:08:01.629 --> 00:08:03.629 a young ad exec whose life gets turned upside 00:08:03.629 --> 00:08:05.430 down when his parents separate and his father 00:08:05.430 --> 00:08:07.709 gets sick. And his father was played by the legend 00:08:07.709 --> 00:08:10.360 himself, Jackie Gleason. That film really hit 00:08:10.360 --> 00:08:12.319 him differently. He talked publicly about how 00:08:12.319 --> 00:08:14.220 it completely shifted what he wanted to do. He 00:08:14.220 --> 00:08:16.860 realized he wanted to focus on people's relationships, 00:08:17.019 --> 00:08:18.899 you know, the human condition. It was a very 00:08:18.899 --> 00:08:21.439 intentional decision to pursue more dramatic 00:08:21.439 --> 00:08:23.740 material. And it was a risk. The film wasn't 00:08:23.740 --> 00:08:26.399 a huge commercial success, but it got critical 00:08:26.399 --> 00:08:29.379 respect. And even after that move toward depth, 00:08:29.600 --> 00:08:32.720 the role that truly cemented him as a major Hollywood 00:08:32.720 --> 00:08:35.059 star. And earned him his first Academy Award 00:08:35.059 --> 00:08:37.519 nomination for Best Actor. Was still a comedy. 00:08:38.080 --> 00:08:41.639 But a high concept one, Big in 1988. Big was 00:08:41.639 --> 00:08:44.179 the proof. The proof that the world would show 00:08:44.179 --> 00:08:46.860 up for a dramatic performance that was couched 00:08:46.860 --> 00:08:49.299 in a comedic premise. He proved he could carry 00:08:49.299 --> 00:08:51.639 a major film, both commercially and critically. 00:08:51.879 --> 00:08:54.919 But the period right after Big is so vital to 00:08:54.919 --> 00:08:57.179 look at because it shows how volatile stardom 00:08:57.179 --> 00:08:59.779 was before he became an icon. It's so important 00:08:59.779 --> 00:09:02.240 to remember that run of Dom's. It proves his 00:09:02.240 --> 00:09:05.769 success wasn't inevitable. He had hits. like 00:09:05.769 --> 00:09:07.990 Turner and Hooch in 89, but he followed that 00:09:07.990 --> 00:09:10.529 with a string of underperformers. There was The 00:09:10.529 --> 00:09:13.549 Burbs in 89, The Surreal Joe vs. The Volcano 00:09:13.549 --> 00:09:16.070 in 90, and then The Notorious Flop. Brian De 00:09:16.070 --> 00:09:18.169 Palma's The Bonfire of the Vanities, also in 00:09:18.169 --> 00:09:21.690 1990. And Bonfire was supposed to be a huge prestige 00:09:21.690 --> 00:09:24.799 film, but it was a total disaster. Hanks played 00:09:24.799 --> 00:09:27.879 Sherman McCoy, this greedy, unlikable Wall Street 00:09:27.879 --> 00:09:30.860 guy. Our sources say the critical panning of 00:09:30.860 --> 00:09:33.259 that role, the feeling that he was miscast as 00:09:33.259 --> 00:09:35.779 someone unheroic, it forced him to completely 00:09:35.779 --> 00:09:38.279 rethink his brand. He learned a crucial lesson. 00:09:38.720 --> 00:09:41.340 The audience liked him best when he was relatable, 00:09:41.539 --> 00:09:43.200 when he was fighting for something or struggling 00:09:43.200 --> 00:09:45.320 through something, not when he was the bad guy. 00:09:45.659 --> 00:09:47.659 And that run of flops meant he had to climb back 00:09:47.659 --> 00:09:50.019 up, which sets the stage perfectly for the next 00:09:50.019 --> 00:09:53.500 phase. The highly intentional, high -quality 00:09:53.500 --> 00:09:56.860 filmmaking era that cemented the everyman hero 00:09:56.860 --> 00:09:59.639 persona. Right. So if the 80s were about finding 00:09:59.639 --> 00:10:01.799 his footing and learning what roles to avoid, 00:10:02.019 --> 00:10:04.399 the 90s were about defining his permanent legacy. 00:10:04.899 --> 00:10:07.399 This is where the Tom Hanks we know today was, 00:10:07.600 --> 00:10:10.769 for all intents and purposes, engineered. Absolutely. 00:10:11.029 --> 00:10:13.970 And Hanks himself acknowledged the shift. He 00:10:13.970 --> 00:10:16.970 called the time around 1993 his modern era of 00:10:16.970 --> 00:10:19.149 moviemaking. He even said publicly that his work 00:10:19.149 --> 00:10:21.509 had fundamentally improved, that it became less 00:10:21.509 --> 00:10:24.049 pretentiously fake and over the top. He got comfortable 00:10:24.049 --> 00:10:28.200 being vulnerable and just. genuine on camera. 00:10:28.340 --> 00:10:30.100 The bounce back really started with A League 00:10:30.100 --> 00:10:32.700 of Their Own in 1992, where he played the washed 00:10:32.700 --> 00:10:35.919 up coach Jimmy Duggan. But he truly soared when 00:10:35.919 --> 00:10:38.159 he was reunited with Nora Ephron and Meg Ryan 00:10:38.159 --> 00:10:41.740 for Sleepless in Seattle in 1993. That film established 00:10:41.740 --> 00:10:45.179 his inherent charm and relatability in a way 00:10:45.179 --> 00:10:48.019 that even Big only hinted at. Critics basically 00:10:48.019 --> 00:10:50.960 hailed him as the premier romantic comedy lead 00:10:50.960 --> 00:10:53.649 of his generation. He was the perfect stand in 00:10:53.649 --> 00:10:56.250 for the thoughtful, emotionally available modern 00:10:56.250 --> 00:10:58.610 man. But just as he was cemented in romance, 00:10:58.950 --> 00:11:01.549 he took the dramatic leap that changed everything. 00:11:01.909 --> 00:11:04.269 He leveraged all that newfound sincerity for 00:11:04.269 --> 00:11:07.090 Philadelphia in 1993. He played Andrew Beckett, 00:11:07.169 --> 00:11:10.070 a gay lawyer with AIDS, suing his firm for discrimination. 00:11:10.450 --> 00:11:13.049 This was a hugely sensitive, culturally important 00:11:13.049 --> 00:11:15.490 role at the absolute height of the AIDS crisis. 00:11:15.710 --> 00:11:17.769 The dedication he brought was just total. Our 00:11:17.769 --> 00:11:20.529 sources confirm he lost 35 pounds. He thinned 00:11:20.529 --> 00:11:23.059 his hair to appear. sickly, a physical commitment 00:11:23.059 --> 00:11:25.259 that went way beyond just acting. And the performance 00:11:25.259 --> 00:11:27.500 was universally acclaimed for its dignity, its 00:11:27.500 --> 00:11:29.860 emotional nuance. Leah Rosen of People magazine 00:11:29.860 --> 00:11:32.799 said Hanks was flat out terrific, giving a deeply 00:11:32.799 --> 00:11:35.299 felt, carefully nuanced performance that deserves 00:11:35.299 --> 00:11:38.799 an Oscar. And he won. But what's truly significant 00:11:38.799 --> 00:11:41.039 about that moment, maybe even more than the Oscar 00:11:41.039 --> 00:11:43.639 itself, is how he used that acceptance speech. 00:11:43.860 --> 00:11:45.519 That's where the power of the icon starts to 00:11:45.519 --> 00:11:47.919 bleed into genuine advocacy, right? Exactly. 00:11:47.919 --> 00:11:51.039 He took that massive global platform to acknowledge 00:11:51.039 --> 00:11:53.620 two people from his life, his high school drama 00:11:53.620 --> 00:11:55.740 teacher and a former classmate who were gay. 00:11:56.259 --> 00:11:58.639 He thanked them for existing and for inspiring 00:11:58.639 --> 00:12:01.779 him. It spoke volumes about leveraging his mainstream 00:12:01.779 --> 00:12:04.960 trust for genuine social visibility. In the heart 00:12:04.960 --> 00:12:07.919 of Hollywood. And then he followed that career 00:12:07.919 --> 00:12:10.879 -defining, intensely serious role with Forrest 00:12:10.879 --> 00:12:14.779 Gump in 1994. Playing a man with an IQ of 75 00:12:14.779 --> 00:12:17.259 who stumbles through major American historical 00:12:17.259 --> 00:12:20.360 events, the film was an absolute global phenomenon, 00:12:20.580 --> 00:12:24.519 grossed a massive $678 million worldwide. The 00:12:24.519 --> 00:12:26.840 impact of Forrest Gump really can't be overstated. 00:12:26.840 --> 00:12:29.340 It was a cultural touchstone. But for Hanks personally, 00:12:29.559 --> 00:12:32.120 winning for Gump made cinematic history. He became 00:12:32.120 --> 00:12:34.759 only the second actor to win consecutive Best 00:12:34.759 --> 00:12:37.980 Actor Academy Awards. That puts him in the rarest 00:12:37.980 --> 00:12:41.220 of rare air in Hollywood. Only one other man 00:12:41.220 --> 00:12:44.480 had ever done it. Spencer Tracy, who won back 00:12:44.480 --> 00:12:48.320 in 1937 and 1938. And here's that fascinating, 00:12:48.539 --> 00:12:51.559 almost unbelievable historical nugget. It's stunning. 00:12:51.860 --> 00:12:54.019 Both Hanks and Tracy were the exact same age 00:12:54.019 --> 00:12:57.039 when they won. 37 for their first, 38 for their 00:12:57.039 --> 00:12:59.480 second. The parallel is just incredible. It suggests 00:12:59.480 --> 00:13:02.360 there's this specific peak where actors capable 00:13:02.360 --> 00:13:05.120 of that kind of grounded human performance just 00:13:05.120 --> 00:13:07.519 resonate most powerfully with the culture. And 00:13:07.519 --> 00:13:10.000 this decade wasn't just about collecting Oscars. 00:13:10.000 --> 00:13:13.019 It was about multi -genre dominance. He was ensuring 00:13:13.019 --> 00:13:15.100 he would never be pigeonholed again like he was 00:13:15.100 --> 00:13:17.980 in the 80s comedy scene. Exactly. He immediately 00:13:17.980 --> 00:13:20.519 jumped into action and history, reuniting with 00:13:20.519 --> 00:13:23.559 Ron Howard for Apollo 13 in 1995, playing Commander 00:13:23.559 --> 00:13:26.639 Jim Lovell. It cemented his status as the default 00:13:26.919 --> 00:13:29.320 voice of American historical integrity. But the 00:13:29.320 --> 00:13:31.940 genre move that arguably had the greatest long 00:13:31.940 --> 00:13:34.299 -term cultural impact was the role that defined 00:13:34.299 --> 00:13:37.019 a whole generation of kids and adults. Sheriff 00:13:37.019 --> 00:13:41.179 Woody in Pixar's Toy Story. In 1995. And Woody 00:13:41.179 --> 00:13:43.659 is fascinating because the character embodies 00:13:43.659 --> 00:13:47.379 his entire persona. Loyalty, a little bit of 00:13:47.379 --> 00:13:50.500 anxiety, deep morality, and above all, trust. 00:13:50.879 --> 00:13:53.279 This cemented his voice as universally iconic. 00:13:53.950 --> 00:13:56.909 a role he reprised in Toy Story 2, 3, and 4. 00:13:57.190 --> 00:14:00.230 For millions of children around the world, Woody 00:14:00.230 --> 00:14:03.009 is Tom Hanks. It's the ultimate expression of 00:14:03.009 --> 00:14:05.970 trust and reliability. If Tom Hanks' voice is 00:14:05.970 --> 00:14:08.029 leading a children's film, you just know it's 00:14:08.029 --> 00:14:11.370 safe and it's quality. That decade also saw his 00:14:11.370 --> 00:14:14.789 crucial move behind the camera. He made his directorial 00:14:14.789 --> 00:14:18.409 debut with That Thing You Do in 1996. A film 00:14:18.409 --> 00:14:21.370 about a 1960s pop group, where he also starred 00:14:21.370 --> 00:14:24.100 as the music producer Mr. White. And this debut 00:14:24.100 --> 00:14:26.320 was so critical because it led directly to the 00:14:26.320 --> 00:14:28.460 formation of what would become his massive production 00:14:28.460 --> 00:14:30.960 company. He and producer Gary Gutzman created 00:14:30.960 --> 00:14:32.559 Playtone. Named, of course, after the record 00:14:32.559 --> 00:14:34.539 company in the film, Playtone would become the 00:14:34.539 --> 00:14:36.539 quiet engine of his second hugely influential 00:14:36.539 --> 00:14:39.120 career. And we can't overlook the massive capstone 00:14:39.120 --> 00:14:41.679 of the decade, the war epic he made with Steven 00:14:41.679 --> 00:14:45.120 Spielberg, Saving Private Ryan in 1998. It was 00:14:45.120 --> 00:14:47.360 critically acclaimed, praised by the military 00:14:47.360 --> 00:14:50.080 community for its brutal realism, and it got 00:14:50.080 --> 00:14:52.970 him another Best Actor nomination. It was hailed 00:14:52.970 --> 00:14:55.490 as one of the finest war films ever made, largely 00:14:55.490 --> 00:14:57.750 because of his grounded performance as Captain 00:14:57.750 --> 00:14:59.950 Miller. That partnership with Spielberg, plus 00:14:59.950 --> 00:15:02.129 the military focus, that would ultimately define 00:15:02.129 --> 00:15:05.350 Platon's most prestigious successes. He then 00:15:05.350 --> 00:15:07.809 closed out the decade by reteaming with Efron 00:15:07.809 --> 00:15:10.129 and Ryan for You've Got Mail and starring in 00:15:10.129 --> 00:15:12.850 the dark Stephen King adaptation, The Green Mile. 00:15:13.129 --> 00:15:16.110 So by the year 2000, Hanks wasn't just a star. 00:15:16.250 --> 00:15:19.740 He was an institution. built on consecutive Oscars, 00:15:19.740 --> 00:15:22.100 director and producer credits, and the voice 00:15:22.100 --> 00:15:24.259 of a universally beloved animated character. 00:15:24.559 --> 00:15:27.539 He had the capital emotional and financial to 00:15:27.539 --> 00:15:29.360 become the filmmaking force that would define 00:15:29.360 --> 00:15:32.120 the next two decades. As we get into the 2000s, 00:15:32.120 --> 00:15:34.740 the narrative shifts dramatically. It's not just 00:15:34.740 --> 00:15:36.620 about the star who acts anymore. It's about the 00:15:36.620 --> 00:15:39.080 powerhouse who creates, who produces, who collaborates 00:15:39.080 --> 00:15:42.159 across every genre, leveraging that image as 00:15:42.159 --> 00:15:45.100 the trusted guide. This era is defined by extreme 00:15:45.100 --> 00:15:48.740 physical demands and massive box office franchises. 00:15:49.139 --> 00:15:52.419 We start right away with Castaway in 2000, reuniting 00:15:52.419 --> 00:15:54.480 with Robert Zemeckis. He's playing the maroon 00:15:54.480 --> 00:15:57.639 FedEx analyst Chuck Noland. That film required 00:15:57.639 --> 00:16:00.279 maybe his most intense physical transformation 00:16:00.279 --> 00:16:02.759 since Philadelphia. He had to gain weight and 00:16:02.759 --> 00:16:04.919 then production shut down for a whole year. A 00:16:04.919 --> 00:16:06.919 whole year. While he lived on an island to lose 00:16:06.919 --> 00:16:09.340 50 pounds, grow his hair long, and just appear 00:16:09.340 --> 00:16:11.419 genuinely starved for the second half of the 00:16:11.419 --> 00:16:13.629 movie. And that kind of physical commitment, 00:16:13.690 --> 00:16:16.549 it came at a personal cost. Our sources indicate 00:16:16.549 --> 00:16:19.509 those weight fluctuations for roles like A League 00:16:19.509 --> 00:16:21.889 of Their Own and Castaway might have contributed 00:16:21.889 --> 00:16:24.610 to his later type 2 diabetes diagnosis. Which 00:16:24.610 --> 00:16:27.730 he revealed in 2013. He literally put his body 00:16:27.730 --> 00:16:30.409 on the line for his art. And the sacrifice paid 00:16:30.409 --> 00:16:33.389 off. Roger Ebert praised the performance, saying, 00:16:34.350 --> 00:16:36.629 proves here again what an effective actor he 00:16:36.629 --> 00:16:39.870 is, never straining for an effect, always persuasive 00:16:39.870 --> 00:16:42.389 even in this unlikely situation. That perfectly 00:16:42.389 --> 00:16:44.590 highlights what critics call the James Stewart 00:16:44.590 --> 00:16:46.850 quality, his ability to make the extraordinary 00:16:46.850 --> 00:16:49.909 feel intensely human and completely relatable. 00:16:50.269 --> 00:16:52.909 He's stuck on an island with a volleyball, but 00:16:52.909 --> 00:16:55.110 you are all in on his struggle because Hanks 00:16:55.110 --> 00:16:58.419 grounds it in universal emotion. In 2002, he 00:16:58.419 --> 00:17:00.899 deliberately moved out of the Nice Guy box again. 00:17:01.299 --> 00:17:04.980 He took on an anti -hero role in Road to Perdition, 00:17:05.099 --> 00:17:07.920 playing a hitman on the run. Not a villain, but 00:17:07.920 --> 00:17:10.420 definitely not the typical moral anchor. And 00:17:10.420 --> 00:17:12.640 then he reunited with Spielberg for Catch Me 00:17:12.640 --> 00:17:15.440 If You Can, playing opposite Leonardo DiCaprio 00:17:15.440 --> 00:17:18.380 as the dogged FBI agent. And this period of dramatic 00:17:18.380 --> 00:17:20.740 versatility was mixed seamlessly with the global 00:17:20.740 --> 00:17:23.809 franchise era. He stepped into the very lucrative 00:17:23.809 --> 00:17:26.049 role of Professor Robert Langdon for the Dan 00:17:26.049 --> 00:17:28.390 Brown blockbusters. Starting with Da Vinci Code 00:17:28.390 --> 00:17:31.630 in 2006, followed by Angels and Demons in 2009. 00:17:32.029 --> 00:17:34.329 These are not critical darlings by any stretch. 00:17:34.549 --> 00:17:36.509 No, but they were massive financial successes. 00:17:36.849 --> 00:17:39.529 The first film alone grossed over $750 million 00:17:39.529 --> 00:17:42.730 worldwide. It cemented his ability to open a 00:17:42.730 --> 00:17:45.650 colossal global film based almost entirely on 00:17:45.650 --> 00:17:48.509 his name recognition and that inherent trustworthiness. 00:17:48.690 --> 00:17:50.960 He could sell anything. He also embraced deep 00:17:50.960 --> 00:17:53.900 genre experimentation. In 2004, he starred in 00:17:53.900 --> 00:17:55.960 The Polar Express, using motion capture to play 00:17:55.960 --> 00:17:58.299 multiple roles, the conductor, the hobo, Santa. 00:17:58.559 --> 00:18:01.400 He leaned into Zemeckis' evolving technology, 00:18:01.779 --> 00:18:04.099 really showing a willingness to be a guinea pig 00:18:04.099 --> 00:18:06.799 for new cinematic techniques. But the true story 00:18:06.799 --> 00:18:09.319 of the 2000s and beyond, the legacy that will 00:18:09.319 --> 00:18:11.819 probably outlive many of his acting roles, is 00:18:11.819 --> 00:18:15.019 Playtone, the production company. Playtone became 00:18:15.019 --> 00:18:18.460 synonymous with high -quality, meticulously researched, 00:18:18.740 --> 00:18:22.180 historically accurate military miniseries, primarily 00:18:22.180 --> 00:18:24.859 for HBO. This is where his interest in history 00:18:24.859 --> 00:18:28.119 and his military advocacy really merged with 00:18:28.119 --> 00:18:30.740 his artistic power. Let's just look at the scale 00:18:30.740 --> 00:18:33.240 of their early success. The executive produced 00:18:33.240 --> 00:18:37.259 From the Earth to the Moon in 1998. A 12 -part 00:18:37.259 --> 00:18:40.569 series on the Apollo program. A $68 million venture 00:18:40.569 --> 00:18:42.609 that won an Emmy. Yeah. A massive undertaking 00:18:42.609 --> 00:18:44.809 for an early project. And then came the World 00:18:44.809 --> 00:18:46.789 War II trilogy that is absolutely foundational 00:18:46.789 --> 00:18:49.589 to his non -acting legacy, Band of Brothers in 00:18:49.589 --> 00:18:52.609 2001. Which followed Easy Company. It won a slew 00:18:52.609 --> 00:18:55.890 of Emmys. Then the Pacific in 2010, focusing 00:18:55.890 --> 00:18:57.809 on the Marine Corps. And most recently, the third 00:18:57.809 --> 00:19:00.710 installment, Masters of the Air in 2024, focusing 00:19:00.710 --> 00:19:03.210 on the American bomber crews. These aren't just 00:19:03.210 --> 00:19:05.710 films. They are massive, expensive, critical 00:19:05.710 --> 00:19:08.589 pieces of popular history. They defined the narrative 00:19:08.589 --> 00:19:11.849 of American involvement in WWII for an entire 00:19:11.849 --> 00:19:14.869 generation. They also produced other lauded historical 00:19:14.869 --> 00:19:17.529 works like John Adams. What's fascinating about 00:19:17.529 --> 00:19:20.170 Playtone, though, is its strategic balance. They 00:19:20.170 --> 00:19:22.690 aren't just a niche war history company. No, 00:19:22.710 --> 00:19:25.190 not at all. They also produced the blockbuster 00:19:25.190 --> 00:19:29.480 musical comedy Mamma Mia. in 2008 and the surprise 00:19:29.480 --> 00:19:33.079 indie hit My Big Fat Greek Wedding in 2002. That 00:19:33.079 --> 00:19:35.480 balance is key to their influence. They have 00:19:35.480 --> 00:19:37.839 the heavy, prestigious historical work that builds 00:19:37.839 --> 00:19:40.079 critical respect and then the massive commercial 00:19:40.079 --> 00:19:42.539 successes that keep the lights on. Which is why, 00:19:42.680 --> 00:19:45.700 at age 45, he became the youngest ever recipient 00:19:45.700 --> 00:19:48.119 of the American Film Institute's Life Achievement 00:19:48.119 --> 00:19:50.900 Award in 2002. And his late career acting work 00:19:50.900 --> 00:19:53.559 shows the same dedication to versatility and 00:19:53.559 --> 00:19:56.880 often biography. He made his Broadway debut in 00:19:56.880 --> 00:19:59.819 2013 in Nora Ephron's Lucky Guy. Earned a Tony 00:19:59.819 --> 00:20:02.599 nomination. And incredibly drew huge crowds like 00:20:02.599 --> 00:20:05.079 300 fans waiting outside after every single performance. 00:20:05.380 --> 00:20:07.099 The highest number recorded for any Broadway 00:20:07.099 --> 00:20:09.880 show. Think about that drawing power. It's not 00:20:09.880 --> 00:20:13.180 just star power. It's the public wanting to brave 00:20:13.180 --> 00:20:16.579 crowds just to see the man who embodies decency. 00:20:16.990 --> 00:20:19.650 And this is the era of the biographical roles. 00:20:19.829 --> 00:20:21.650 He played Captain Richard Phillips in Captain 00:20:21.650 --> 00:20:24.190 Phillips, Sully Sullenberger in Sully, and maybe 00:20:24.190 --> 00:20:26.750 most notably, Walt Disney in Saving Mr. Banks. 00:20:26.990 --> 00:20:29.390 And our sources point out he was the first actor 00:20:29.390 --> 00:20:32.750 ever to portray Walt Disney in a mainstream film. 00:20:33.150 --> 00:20:35.869 That says so much about needing an actor whose 00:20:35.869 --> 00:20:38.950 public image matches that revered, if complex, 00:20:39.269 --> 00:20:41.690 icon. And then there's the role that really earned 00:20:41.690 --> 00:20:44.769 him the America's Dad title, Fred Rogers in A 00:20:44.769 --> 00:20:46.769 Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood. The only person 00:20:46.769 --> 00:20:48.769 trusted enough to play the ultimate friendly 00:20:48.769 --> 00:20:51.509 neighbor. Got him an Oscar nomination for Best 00:20:51.509 --> 00:20:54.349 Supporting Actor. Post -2020, we see him pivoting 00:20:54.349 --> 00:20:56.930 to streaming and writing. He wrote and starred 00:20:56.930 --> 00:21:00.390 in the WWII film Greyhound, which went to Apple 00:21:00.390 --> 00:21:03.269 TV Plus Hair. He played the heavily costumed 00:21:03.269 --> 00:21:06.650 Colonel Tom Parker in Ellis in 2022. And we should 00:21:06.650 --> 00:21:08.650 pause on that Elvis performance, because for 00:21:08.650 --> 00:21:10.670 all the accolades we've discussed, he did receive 00:21:10.670 --> 00:21:13.150 a Golden Ransberry Award nomination for Worst 00:21:13.150 --> 00:21:16.109 Supporting Actor for that role. A Razzie nomination. 00:21:16.769 --> 00:21:19.470 For Tom Hanks, that's almost more shocking than 00:21:19.470 --> 00:21:22.069 the consecutive Oscars. It is. And the accompanying 00:21:22.069 --> 00:21:25.210 Worst Screen Combo Award cited Tom Hanks in his 00:21:25.210 --> 00:21:28.690 latex -laden face and ludicrous accent. Wow. 00:21:28.809 --> 00:21:31.430 So was it the performance itself or just the 00:21:31.430 --> 00:21:33.849 combination of the thick prosthetics and the 00:21:33.849 --> 00:21:36.609 cartoonish, morally gray character that finally 00:21:36.609 --> 00:21:39.430 broke the suspension of disbelief for America's 00:21:39.430 --> 00:21:41.650 dad? I think it was the latter. Yeah. It was 00:21:41.650 --> 00:21:43.869 the icon trying to play too far against type 00:21:43.869 --> 00:21:47.009 and the makeup just overwhelmed his natural acting 00:21:47.009 --> 00:21:49.910 style. But it was a momentary blip. He's recently 00:21:49.910 --> 00:21:51.690 worked with Wes Anderson. He's reunited with 00:21:51.690 --> 00:21:53.730 Zemeckis and Robin Wright for an upcoming film. 00:21:54.440 --> 00:21:56.400 He is not slowing down. OK, so we've covered 00:21:56.400 --> 00:21:58.380 the roles, the production company, the accolades. 00:21:58.380 --> 00:22:01.039 But the true unique selling point of Tom Hanks, 00:22:01.140 --> 00:22:03.400 the engine that powers all that trust, is the 00:22:03.400 --> 00:22:05.740 man behind the persona. Right. His personal life, 00:22:05.779 --> 00:22:07.839 his deep connections, his surprising interests. 00:22:08.180 --> 00:22:10.339 They're incredibly revealed. Let's start with 00:22:10.339 --> 00:22:12.839 family and faith. He was first married to Samantha 00:22:12.839 --> 00:22:15.680 Luz, had two children, Colin and Elizabeth. Then 00:22:15.680 --> 00:22:17.759 he met his current wife, actress Rita Wilson, 00:22:17.980 --> 00:22:20.460 on the set of Bosom Buddies. They reconnected 00:22:20.460 --> 00:22:23.190 and married in 1988. And they have two sons, 00:22:23.430 --> 00:22:26.430 Chet and Truman. What really stands out about 00:22:26.430 --> 00:22:28.609 his second marriage is the convergence of faith. 00:22:29.230 --> 00:22:31.529 Hanks converted to Rita Wilson's Greek Orthodox 00:22:31.529 --> 00:22:34.230 faith before they married. He actively attends 00:22:34.230 --> 00:22:37.150 church, but he articulates his faith less as 00:22:37.150 --> 00:22:40.230 rigid dogma and more as pondering the mystery. 00:22:40.549 --> 00:22:43.130 He focuses on the why. Why are people the way 00:22:43.130 --> 00:22:45.529 they are? why do bad things happen to good people 00:22:45.529 --> 00:22:48.609 that meditative approach to belief it feeds directly 00:22:48.609 --> 00:22:51.349 into the sincerity he brings to his roles and 00:22:51.349 --> 00:22:53.369 that conversion that deep connection to greek 00:22:53.369 --> 00:22:55.930 culture it directly relates to one of the most 00:22:55.930 --> 00:22:59.130 remarkable honors he's received In 2020, Hanks 00:22:59.130 --> 00:23:00.789 and his immediate family were granted honorary 00:23:00.789 --> 00:23:02.910 Greek citizenship. By the president of Greece. 00:23:03.150 --> 00:23:06.049 That is an exceptional, rarely granted honor 00:23:06.049 --> 00:23:09.150 for a non -Greek national. The citation was specifically 00:23:09.150 --> 00:23:12.049 for their exceptional services to Greece, noting 00:23:12.049 --> 00:23:14.490 their role in bringing global attention and appealing 00:23:14.490 --> 00:23:17.549 for aid after that devastating Madi wildfire 00:23:17.549 --> 00:23:21.150 in 2018. He and Rita Wilson effectively leveraged 00:23:21.150 --> 00:23:23.789 his global platform to assist in a national tragedy. 00:23:24.049 --> 00:23:26.670 It's proof that his image as a genuinely caring 00:23:26.670 --> 00:23:29.069 figure translates into real -world influence. 00:23:29.490 --> 00:23:32.369 And speaking of surprising, almost fated connections, 00:23:32.789 --> 00:23:35.069 he has some extraordinary distant relatives. 00:23:35.369 --> 00:23:37.769 Oh, this is amazing. He discovered through Ancestry 00:23:37.769 --> 00:23:40.990 .com that he is a distant cousin of President 00:23:40.990 --> 00:23:43.289 Abraham Lincoln. A relative of Lincoln's mother, 00:23:43.410 --> 00:23:45.970 Nancy Hanks. And right before the release of 00:23:45.970 --> 00:23:47.730 A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, he learned 00:23:47.730 --> 00:23:50.450 he's a sixth cousin of the man he was playing, 00:23:50.630 --> 00:23:53.410 Fred Rogers. Come on. Talk about fate intersecting 00:23:53.410 --> 00:23:55.779 with career. It's almost too perfect a story 00:23:55.779 --> 00:23:58.180 for the man who embodies American kindness and 00:23:58.180 --> 00:24:00.940 historical integrity. It's just a strange genealogical 00:24:00.940 --> 00:24:03.279 validation of the whole America's dad image. 00:24:03.880 --> 00:24:06.799 Now, moving to his public advocacy, one of his 00:24:06.799 --> 00:24:08.900 longest standing passions is space exploration. 00:24:09.119 --> 00:24:11.680 He originally wanted to be an astronaut. He's 00:24:11.680 --> 00:24:13.640 a staunch supporter of NASA. He's on the board 00:24:13.640 --> 00:24:15.220 of governors for the National Space Society. 00:24:15.579 --> 00:24:17.819 He didn't just play a role in space history. 00:24:17.960 --> 00:24:21.170 He actively contributed to preserving it. co 00:24:21.170 --> 00:24:23.970 -writing the IMAX film Magnificent Desolation. 00:24:23.990 --> 00:24:26.890 And his military advocacy is equally profound. 00:24:27.210 --> 00:24:30.630 In 2006, he was inducted as an honorary member 00:24:30.630 --> 00:24:33.539 of the US Army Rangers Hall of Fame. To be clear, 00:24:33.619 --> 00:24:36.000 he was the first actor ever to receive such an 00:24:36.000 --> 00:24:38.619 honor. This was for his accurate and empathetic 00:24:38.619 --> 00:24:41.599 portrayal in saving Private Ryan and his longstanding 00:24:41.599 --> 00:24:44.500 support of veterans. He recently solidified that 00:24:44.500 --> 00:24:46.740 support by founding the coffee company Hanks 00:24:46.740 --> 00:24:49.839 for the Troops in 2023. It's a very conscious 00:24:49.839 --> 00:24:51.940 move to integrate his celebrity into commerce 00:24:51.940 --> 00:24:54.460 that directly supports military families. It's 00:24:54.460 --> 00:24:56.980 the monetization of trust for a good cause. And 00:24:56.980 --> 00:24:58.599 we should briefly touch on his political views, 00:24:58.740 --> 00:25:01.579 which lean Democratic. He's endorsed Obama, Clinton, 00:25:01.799 --> 00:25:04.660 Biden. But even in his advocacy, there are moments 00:25:04.660 --> 00:25:07.440 that reinforce the dad image. The moment that 00:25:07.440 --> 00:25:10.339 stands out is his reaction to California's Proposition 00:25:10.339 --> 00:25:12.779 8 in 2008, which was about defining marriage. 00:25:13.140 --> 00:25:16.259 He was outspoken against it and even called supporters 00:25:16.259 --> 00:25:19.319 un -American. But that moment and the immediate 00:25:19.319 --> 00:25:22.279 apology he offered is telling. He later walked 00:25:22.279 --> 00:25:24.279 back the statement, acknowledging that nothing 00:25:24.279 --> 00:25:26.319 is more American than voting your conscience, 00:25:26.460 --> 00:25:29.460 even if you disagree. It shows him as well -intentioned, 00:25:29.460 --> 00:25:31.960 but also willing to admit when he gets overheated, 00:25:31.980 --> 00:25:34.740 it grounds him. Finally, we have to mention his 00:25:34.740 --> 00:25:38.200 unique obsession, manual typewriters. He collects 00:25:38.200 --> 00:25:41.359 them, owns hundreds, and uses them almost daily. 00:25:41.920 --> 00:25:44.900 It speaks to his deep respect for craft and physical 00:25:44.900 --> 00:25:47.339 permanence. And he took this passion and turned 00:25:47.339 --> 00:25:50.160 it into two distinct writing careers. He wrote 00:25:50.160 --> 00:25:52.559 a collection of short stories, Uncommon Type. 00:25:52.990 --> 00:25:55.269 each inspired by a typewriter in his collection. 00:25:55.450 --> 00:25:57.869 And his debut novel, The Making of Another Major 00:25:57.869 --> 00:26:00.089 Motion Picture Masterpiece, was published in 00:26:00.089 --> 00:26:03.490 2023. He even released the Hanks Writer iOS app 00:26:03.490 --> 00:26:05.970 to emulate the experience of using one, clacking 00:26:05.970 --> 00:26:08.589 sounds and all. He's this fascinating blend of 00:26:08.589 --> 00:26:10.809 old school craft and modern cultural influence. 00:26:11.130 --> 00:26:13.210 So now that we've charted the man, his production 00:26:13.210 --> 00:26:16.369 empire, and his philanthropic work, let's just 00:26:16.369 --> 00:26:19.119 synthesize his reputation and legacy. Because 00:26:19.119 --> 00:26:21.359 the numbers themselves, they're staggering and 00:26:21.359 --> 00:26:23.660 they directly reflect the trust he commands. 00:26:23.940 --> 00:26:26.500 Let's start with the box office. Tom Hanks is 00:26:26.500 --> 00:26:28.420 ranked as the fourth highest grossing American 00:26:28.420 --> 00:26:32.000 film actor of all time. His films have grossed 00:26:32.000 --> 00:26:36.559 over $4 .9 billion in North America alone. Averaging 00:26:36.559 --> 00:26:40.289 a colossal $100 million per film. Worldwide, 00:26:40.369 --> 00:26:44.190 his films have earned over $9 .96 billion. He 00:26:44.190 --> 00:26:47.269 is a genuine long -term financial force. But 00:26:47.269 --> 00:26:50.089 more powerful than the money is the trust. His 00:26:50.089 --> 00:26:53.509 name alone signals quality and integrity. In 00:26:53.509 --> 00:26:56.150 2006, he topped a Forbes list of most trusted 00:26:56.150 --> 00:26:58.329 celebrities. That high regard leads to frequent 00:26:58.329 --> 00:27:00.950 comparisons to classic Hollywood greats who also 00:27:00.950 --> 00:27:03.579 embodied moral character. He's often compared 00:27:03.579 --> 00:27:05.700 to James Stewart and Henry Fonda. Right. He's 00:27:05.700 --> 00:27:08.000 said to have that James Stewart quality. And 00:27:08.000 --> 00:27:09.960 we should spend a second defining that because 00:27:09.960 --> 00:27:12.500 it's the core of his appeal. Jon Stewart specialized 00:27:12.500 --> 00:27:15.750 in playing decent, earnest. good men thrust into 00:27:15.750 --> 00:27:18.190 extraordinary circumstances. Think of Stuart 00:27:18.190 --> 00:27:21.230 and Mr. Smith goes to Washington or it's a wonderful 00:27:21.230 --> 00:27:24.450 life. Hanks carries that same inherent decency, 00:27:24.609 --> 00:27:27.170 making us believe that the pilot, the stranded 00:27:27.170 --> 00:27:29.250 analyst or the soldier is just an ordinary man 00:27:29.250 --> 00:27:32.130 doing his duty. Roger Ebert provided the definitive 00:27:32.130 --> 00:27:35.329 analysis of this. Ebert wrote that Hanks embodies 00:27:35.329 --> 00:27:38.809 not our fantasies, but our lives. The core idea 00:27:38.809 --> 00:27:41.910 is that Hanks reassures us that in our ordinariness, 00:27:41.990 --> 00:27:44.450 we also have a kind of importance. And Ebert 00:27:44.450 --> 00:27:46.809 believed the camera is a lie detector and that 00:27:46.809 --> 00:27:49.170 Hanks must be a fundamentally good person to 00:27:49.170 --> 00:27:51.849 play such roles so convincingly. Or he's an even 00:27:51.849 --> 00:27:54.230 better actor than we think, capable of projecting 00:27:54.230 --> 00:27:57.109 innate trustworthiness. That ability to embody 00:27:57.109 --> 00:27:59.670 the ordinary hero is why the public is universally 00:27:59.670 --> 00:28:02.650 agreed he is America's dad. He provides stability 00:28:02.650 --> 00:28:04.950 and a sense of protective reliability on screen. 00:28:05.400 --> 00:28:07.299 And his status has been formalized through so 00:28:07.299 --> 00:28:09.839 many high -level honors, the AFI Life Achievement 00:28:09.839 --> 00:28:12.940 Award in 2002, the Kennedy Center Honor in 2014, 00:28:13.400 --> 00:28:16.539 and recognizing his civic and humanitarian contributions, 00:28:16.920 --> 00:28:19.839 the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2016. He 00:28:19.839 --> 00:28:22.559 also received the French Legion of Honor, specifically 00:28:22.559 --> 00:28:25.220 for his work in presenting World War II accurately 00:28:25.220 --> 00:28:28.339 and supporting veterans. It's a legacy acknowledged 00:28:28.339 --> 00:28:31.220 at the highest levels of global government. And 00:28:31.220 --> 00:28:34.019 in a final nod to his passion for space, the 00:28:34.019 --> 00:28:37.380 asteroid 12818 Tom Hanks is named after him. 00:28:37.460 --> 00:28:40.140 He received the Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille 00:28:40.140 --> 00:28:43.480 Award in 2020. It's just a career built on meticulous 00:28:43.480 --> 00:28:46.859 choices, powerful collaborations, and a genuinely 00:28:46.859 --> 00:28:49.140 approachable persona that the world has fully 00:28:49.140 --> 00:28:52.150 embraced. So if we step back and recap this deep 00:28:52.150 --> 00:28:54.509 dive for you, the key insight is that Tom Hanks' 00:28:54.569 --> 00:28:57.009 success was never just a flash in the pan. It 00:28:57.009 --> 00:28:59.470 was a conscious construction built on deeply 00:28:59.470 --> 00:29:02.230 intentional career shifts. From awkward nomadic 00:29:02.230 --> 00:29:04.630 teen to comedy star, from comedy star through 00:29:04.630 --> 00:29:07.289 critical flops to serious dramatic actor, and 00:29:07.289 --> 00:29:09.430 finally from actor to massive producer, writer, 00:29:09.549 --> 00:29:12.170 and global advocate. That trajectory, combined 00:29:12.170 --> 00:29:14.589 with cultivating an approachable persona, has 00:29:14.589 --> 00:29:17.009 resulted in an unprecedented level of public 00:29:17.009 --> 00:29:19.509 trust and massive cultural capital in Hollywood. 00:29:19.710 --> 00:29:21.509 He transitioned from being merely a reliable 00:29:21.509 --> 00:29:24.130 actor to being a reliable cultural steward, a 00:29:24.130 --> 00:29:26.630 global emblem of integrity. We've seen how he 00:29:26.630 --> 00:29:29.750 successfully leveraged his identity as the quintessential 00:29:29.750 --> 00:29:33.230 everyman to convince us he's a soldier, an astronaut, 00:29:33.529 --> 00:29:36.089 Walt Disney, the neighbor we all wish we had. 00:29:36.509 --> 00:29:39.390 And this accumulated trust, it leads us to a 00:29:39.390 --> 00:29:41.990 final provocative thought. Considering his massive 00:29:41.990 --> 00:29:44.849 ongoing success in creating and producing historical 00:29:44.849 --> 00:29:48.569 nonfiction content, specifically the Emmy -winning 00:29:48.569 --> 00:29:52.329 WWII miniseries like Band of Brothers, the Apollo 00:29:52.329 --> 00:29:55.289 series, and Masters of the Air, we have to ask 00:29:55.289 --> 00:29:57.819 this question. Does Hanks' established reputation 00:29:57.819 --> 00:30:00.839 as a profoundly trustworthy and morally centered 00:30:00.839 --> 00:30:04.240 figure now lend his historical and literary projects 00:30:04.240 --> 00:30:06.640 a unique weight and influence that few other 00:30:06.640 --> 00:30:08.819 celebrities can command? His reputation allows 00:30:08.819 --> 00:30:11.000 him to dictate the historical narrative for millions 00:30:11.000 --> 00:30:13.579 of people. This is a level of cultural capital 00:30:13.579 --> 00:30:15.859 built brick by brick, from his first role in 00:30:15.859 --> 00:30:18.140 a low -budget slasher flick all the way to earning 00:30:18.140 --> 00:30:20.460 a second citizenship in Greece. It's more than 00:30:20.460 --> 00:30:22.900 acting. It's cultural stewardship. And that's 00:30:22.900 --> 00:30:24.920 a legacy worth thinking about. Thank you for 00:30:24.920 --> 00:30:25.900 joining us for this deep dive.