Celebrate Tom Hanks’ 70th Birthday with a Look at His Incredible Career in Photos

Kate Hogan, Brendan LeThu, July 9, 2026 at 10:30 AM UTC

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Tom Hanks in ‘Saving Private Ryan,’ ‘Catch Me If You Can’ and ‘Forrest Gump’Credit: Dreamworks/Amblin/Universal/Kobal/Shutterstock; Globe Photos/ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock; Moviestore/Shutterstock

Two Oscars, seven Emmys and all sorts of love — Tom Hanks is the definition of a movie star.

Throughout his five decades in the industry, the actor has led several landmark films that have become culturally ubiquitous, thanks in part to his stellar performances. Whether he’s charming viewers in a rom-com or speaking as a toy cowboy, Hanks never disappoints.

To celebrate his 70th birthday on July 9, 2026, look back at some of his most memorable works, from Saving Private Ryan and Forrest Gump to The Post and his Mr. Rogers biopic.

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1980: Bosom Buddies

Credit: 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.

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1984: Splash

Credit: 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.

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1988: Big

Credit: 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.

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1992: A League of Their Own

Credit: 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.

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1993: Sleepless in Seattle

Credit: 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.

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1993: Philadelphia

Credit: 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.

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1994: Forrest Gump

Credit: 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.

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1995: Apollo 13

Credit: 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.

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1995: Toy Story

Credit: Buena Vista Pictures/Everett

Hanks voiced cowboy toy Woody in the Pixar classic, and went on to play him again in the four subsequent sequels — most recently Toy Story 5 in 2026.

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1998: Saving Private Ryan

Credit: 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.

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2000: Cast Away

Credit: 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.

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2002: Catch Me If You Can

Tom Hanks in ‘Catch Me If You Can’Credit: Globe Photos/ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock

He starred in Spielberg’s crime comedy-drama Catch Me If You Can, portraying an FBI agent attempting to track down con artist Frank Abagnale Jr., played by Leonardo DiCaprio.

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2007: Charlie Wilson’s War

Credit: 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.

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2013: Captain Phillips

Credit: 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.

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2016: Sully

Credit: 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.

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2017: The Post

Credit: 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.

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2019: A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

Credit: 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.

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2022: A Man Called Otto

Credit: Niko Tavernise / Sony Pictures Entertainment / Courtesy Everett

In 2022, the actor returned to the big screen to star in and produce this adaptation of the book A Man Called Ove, about a grumpy widower who strikes up an unlikely friendship with his new next-door neighbors.

In 2023, Hanks joined the West Anderson universe with a role in the acclaimed film Asteroid City, which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival.

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2023: Asteroid City

Jason Schwartzman and Tom Hanks in ‘Asteroid City’Credit: Focus Features

He teamed up with Wes Anderson for the sci-fi comedy-drama Asteroid City, which depicts a stage play set in the ‘50s American Southwest. Hanks played the disapproving father-in-law to Jason Schwartzman’s Augie Steenbeck, joining a star-studded ensemble cast that includes Scarlett Johansson, Tilda Swinton, Bryan Cranston and more.

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2025: The Phoenician Scheme

Bryan Cranston and Tom Hanks in ‘The Phoenician Scheme’Credit: Courtesy of TPS Productions/Focus Features

Two years later, Hanks and Cranston collaborated with Anderson again for the espionage thriller The Phoenician Scheme, in which the duo played brothers and business partners Leland and Reagan.

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”