People.com Entertainment Movies Celebrate Tom Hanks' Birthday with a Look at His Incredible Career in Photos The beloved actor turns 66 today, and has a lot to be proud of By Kate Hogan Kate Hogan Instagram Twitter Kate Hogan is Director of Digital Specials and Features at PEOPLE. In her 14 years at the brand, she has covered everything from pets and babies to style and Sexiest Man Alive, interviewing celebrities including Céline Dion, Carrie Underwood, Jennifer Hudson and Chris Evans. Currently, she oversees the creation of photo galleries that complement breaking news and major PEOPLE moments like The Beautiful Issue and 100 Reasons to Love America. She has offered expert celebrity commentary on Good Morning America and Access Hollywood. Before joining PEOPLE in 2008, Kate was an editorial assistant at Morris Visitor Publications. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a Bachelor's degree in journalism and mass communication and resides outside of Chicago with her husband and three kids. People Editorial Guidelines Updated on July 9, 2022 10:23 AM Share Tweet Pin Email 01 of 16 1980: Bosom Buddies ABC Photo Archives/Getty A young Hanks (with costar Peter Scolari) got his big break on the short-lived TV series, which ran for two seasons on ABC. 02 of 16 1984: Splash Buena Vista Pictures/Everett The budding actor, with costar Daryl Hannah, made a splash of his own in the fantasy romantic comedy about a man who falls for a mermaid. 03 of 16 1988: Big 20th Century Fox Film Corp./Everett Hanks' very first Oscar nomination was for the '80s flick about a kid who turns into an adult overnight. 04 of 16 1992: A League of Their Own Columbia Pictures/ Everett Hanks joined heavy hitters like Geena Davis, Madonna and Rosie O'Donnell in the classic about the first female professional baseball league. 05 of 16 1993: Sleepless in Seattle TriStar Pictures/ Everett Collection Hanks was nominated for a Golden Globe for his part in the heartstring-tugging classic, which first paired him with Meg Ryan. The two reunited in 1998's You've Got Mail. 06 of 16 1993: Philadelphia TriStar Pictures/Everett Collection Hanks' first Oscar win was for his portrayal of Andrew Beckett in the groundbreaking film about a homosexual lawyer with AIDS who is wrongfully fired from his job at a firm. 07 of 16 1994: Forrest Gump Paramount Pictures/ Everett In arguably his most iconic role, Hanks scored his second consecutive Best Actor Oscar, as well as a slew of other accolades. 08 of 16 1995: Apollo 13 Mary Evans/IMAGINE ENTERTAINMENT/Everett Collection Hanks and his costars won the outstanding performance by an ensemble cast in a motion picture award at the 1996 Screen Actors Guild Awards for their moving work in the out-of-this-world film. 09 of 16 1995: Toy Story Buena Vista Pictures/Everett Hanks voiced cowboy toy Woody in the Pixar classic, and went on to play him again in the subsequent Toy Story 2, 3 and 4. 10 of 16 1998: Saving Private Ryan DreamWorks/ Everett Collection Hanks shared the screen with A-listers including Matt Damon and Edward Burns in the Steven Spielberg classic, which - once again - scored him acting nominations across the major awards shows. 11 of 16 2000: Cast Away 20th Century Fox Film Corp./Everett The star's solo work (well, if you don't count Wilson) in the stirring picture nabbed him a Golden Globe Award and an Oscar nomination. 12 of 16 2007: Charlie Wilson's War Universal/Everett "He's as fun and funny in real life as one would imagine," costar Julia Roberts told PEOPLE of Hanks after joining him on screen in 2007 for a film that scored him yet another Golden Globe nomination. 13 of 16 2013: Captain Phillips Jasin Boland/Columbia Pictures/ Everett Hanks took on the role of the real-life hero, Captain Richard Phillips, who helped save his container ship's crew when they were ambushed by Somali pirates off the coast of Africa in 2009. His work earned him Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild and BAFTA Award nominations. 14 of 16 2016: Sully Keith Bernstein/Warner Bros. Pictures/Everett Playing another real-life hero, US Airways captain Capt. Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger, who safely landed a disabled plane in New York City's Hudson River shortly after takeoff in 2009, brought the star yet another round of honors. 15 of 16 2017: The Post 20th Century Fox Film Corp./ Everett Hanks shared the screen with another powerhouse, Meryl Streep, to tell the true story of behind-the-scenes drama at the Washington Post. He earned a Golden Globe nomination for his work. 16 of 16 2019: A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood Lacey Terrell/ TriStar Pictures Hanks again courted an Oscar - this time Best Supporting Actor - for his work as beloved TV icon Fred Rogers in the 2019 biopic.