Tom Hanks is a truly legendary American actor. He is known for his many memorable movies like Apollo 13, The Green Mile, Saving Private Ryan and, of course, Sleepless in Seattle.

He has been recognized for his ability to deliver true to life, heartfelt performances that reflect deep and powerful human values. Hanks appears to be an authentic and real person and has a believable presence that has made him one of the most popular actors in the world.

He has received many awards for his film performances. In fact, he won back-to-back Academy Awards for Best Actor for his roles in Philadelphia in 1993 and then Forrest Gump in 1994.

Movies That Have Changed Our Lives

In Forest Gump, Hanks’ character said, “Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get.” That is such a true statement that we can all relate to.

Women in our community know that, along the way, life reveals all kinds of unexpected surprises. We learn to embrace the unforeseen and accept life opportunities.

Tom Hanks is one person who appears to have listened to an inner voice that led him to so many movie roles that have touched our hearts and changed many lives.

Hanks is an actor who takes his job seriously! He makes it a point to ‘get into’ the roles he is playing.

For instance, he gained 30 pounds for his role in A League of Their Own and lost 30 pounds for his role in Philadelphia. Now that takes commitment! As he turns 62 today, he should feel proud of his accomplishments.

Life Coaching from Tom Hanks

We often look to celebrities for direction and values. Tom Hanks is one actor I feel we genuinely do trust to offer true and authentic words of advice, based on his own personal life. He has been married for almost 30 years to actress Rita Wilson, and he seems a genuinely kind and good person.

He believes in pushing ahead and moving forward. In a Parade interview he said, “You can always try to do something. Keep moving forward. Keep trying stuff.”

And when asked about his dating advice for men, he said, “Be a gentleman and tell the truth and things might be better for you.” He genuinely seems to walk the talk in that respect as well.

Passions and Interests

Tom Hanks has a lot going on outside the movie world. He is an ardent environmentalist and a huge proponent of electric cars.

He also serves as the campaign chair of the Hidden Heroes Campaign that tries to encourage a national movement to support military and veteran caregivers. He is a man of great depth of character.

Going Strong at 62

I recently saw the movie The Post featuring Tom Hanks and Meryl Streep in the lead roles. In the movie, Hanks gave a wonderful characterization of a real-life person caught up in a moment of historical significance.

His own genuine humanity helped to intensify the emotion and the depth of the issues playing on the screen. I loved the scene with Streep for its raw honesty.

And he isn’t stopping. As if to really sum up Tom Hanks’ kind and generous personality, he is apparently going to play Mr. Rogers in a new film called You Are My Friend.

It is a perfect character match for Tom Hanks who will no doubt bring the myth of Mr. Rogers to life. Hanks has many other movies in the works, so I expect we will continue to see stellar performances for many years to come.

Let’s take a minute to wish Tom Hanks a very Happy Birthday and thank him for the wonderful movies and memories he has given us over the years.

Happy 62nd birthday Tom Hanks! What is your favorite Tom Hanks movie? Which character do you think matches his personality best? Let’s have a chat as we wish him a wonderful birthday!