Tom Hanks has never been officially designated the world’s favorite actor, but it’s hard to think of anyone else who is as universally liked and respected as he is. Over a more than forty year career, he’s casually moved between comedies and dramas, big event films and quiet character studies. He’s acted, directed, produced and played pop culture figure, all while giving off serious good guy vibes.
So, let’s celebrate Tom Hanks’ career by taking a look back at how we got to here. We’ve put together a photo gallery that includes one picture a year, starting with Hanks as a fresh-faced, twenty-something in his early TV show Bosom Buddies and eventually ending with where we are today.
Yes, there may be a look or two he might take back (we’ve all been there!), but on the whole, I have to say he looks pretty damn good throughout. And he never loses his basic Tom Hanks-ness. There’s always that charming smile, the friendly eyes and just an ever so slight aura of wit and goofiness. Thanks for all the memories, good sir. Here’s to decades more!
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Tom Hanks on set filming Bosom Buddies in 1980. (Image credit: Walt Disney Television Photo Archives / Contributor)
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Tom Hanks on set filming Bosom Buddies 1981 (Image credit: Chic Donchin / Contributor)
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Tom Hanks from Mazes and Monsters in 1982 (Image credit: CBS Photo Archive / Contributor)
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Tom Hanks in Family Ties 1983 (Image credit: NBC)
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Tom Hanks portrait for Bachelor Party 1984 (Image credit: Aaron Rapoport / Contributor)
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Tom Hanks Promotional Shot for Volunteers 1985 (Image credit: Aaron Rapoport / Contributor)
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Tom Hanks in Money Pit 1986 (Image credit: Universal Pictures)
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Tom Hanks with Dan Aykroyd in photo shoot for Dragnet 1987 (Image credit: Bob Riha Jr / Contributor)
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Tom hanks portrait session for Big 1988 (Image credit: Aaron Rapoport / Contributor)
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Tom Hanks in Turner & Hooch 1989 (Image credit: Disney)
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Tom Hanks in a scene from The Bonfire of the Vanities 1990 (Image credit: Archive Photos / Stringer)
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Tom Hanks the Twelfth Night play performance at the Pasadena Playhouse in 1991 (Image credit: Ron Galella, Ltd. / Contributor)
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Tom Hanks receiving the Hollywood Walk of Fame Star 1992 (Image credit: Ron Galella, Ltd. / Contributor)
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Tom Hanks poses with his Oscar for Best Actor in Philadelphia 1993 (Image credit: TIMOTHY CLARY / Staff)
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Tom Hanks in Forrest Gump 1994 (Image credit: Sunset Boulevard / Contributor)
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Tom Hanks in Apollo 13 in 1995 (Image credit: Eric Robert / Contributor)
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Tom Hanks at the premiere for That Thing You Do 1996 (Image credit: Ron Galella, Ltd. / Contributor)
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Tom Hanks with Rita Wilson at the Eighth Annual Fire & Ice Ball 1997 (Image credit: Ron Galella, Ltd. / Contributor)
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Tom Hanks in Saving Private Ryan 1998 (Image credit: CBS Photo Archive / Contributor)
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Tom Hanks at a Premiere for The Green Mile 1999 (Image credit: J. Vespa / Contributor)
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Tom Hanks in Cast Away 2000 (Image credit: Twentieth Century Fox)
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Tom Hanks at the premiere of Band of Brothers and the Memorial Service for the 57th Anniversary of D-Day 2001 (Image credit: Anthony Harvey / Staff)
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Tom Hanks at a press conference for Catch Me if You Can 2002 (Image credit: Vera Anderson / Contributor)
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Tom Hanks during opening night The Producers 2003 (Image credit: Jon Kopaloff / Contributor)
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Tom Hanks in a photo call for The Terminal 2004 (Image credit: Pascal Le Segretain / Staff)
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Tom Hanks at the premiere for Magnificent Desolation: Walking on the Moon 2005 (Image credit: Jeff Snyder / Contributor)
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Tom Hanks at Opening Night Gala and World Premiere of The Da Vinci Code 2006 (Image credit: Toni Anne Barson Archive / Contributor)
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Tom Hanks at a press conference for Charlie Wilson’s War 2007 (Image credit: Vera Anderson / Contributor)
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Tom Hanks at the 60th Primetime Emmy Awards 2008 (Image credit: Dan MacMedan / Contributor)
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Tom Hanks at the Japan premiere of Angels & Demons 2009 (Image credit: Jun Sato / Contributor)
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Tom Hanks at the premiere for Toy Story 3 in 2010 (Image credit: Frederick M. Brown / Stringer)
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Tom Hanks at the premiere for Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close 2011 (Image credit: Rob Kim / Contributor)
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Tom Hanks at the Germany premiere of Cloud Atlas 2012 (Image credit: Anita Bugge / Contributor)
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Tom Hanks at the premiere for Saving Mr. Banks 2013 (Image credit: Barry King / Contributor)
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Tom Hanks one of the recipients of the 2014 Kennedy Center Honors (Image credit: Pool / Pool)
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Tom Hanks at the world premiere of Bridges of Spies 2015 (Image credit: Isa Foltin / Contributor)
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Tom Hanks at a screening for Inferno 2016 (Image credit: Frank Trapper / Contributor)
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Tom Hanks at a book signing for his book Uncommon Type 2017 (Image credit: Jeff Spicer / Stringer)
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Tom Hanks at the European Premiere of The Post 2018 (Image credit: DANIEL LEAL / Contributor)
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Tom Hanks at a New York screening for A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood 2019 (Image credit: Dominik Bindl / Stringer)
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Tom Hanks at the 77th Annual Golden Globe Awards 2020 (Image credit: Steve Granitz / Contributor)
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Tom Hanks at the premiere of Finch 2021 (Image credit: Steve Granitz / Contributor)
