Quotes by Tom Hanks

About Tom Hanks:

Thomas Jeffrey Hanks is an American actor and filmmaker. He is known for his roles in Big (1988), Philadelphia (1993), Forrest Gump (1994), Apollo 13 (1995), Saving Private Ryan, You've Got Mail (both 1998), The Green Mile (1999), Cast Away (2000), The Da Vinci Code (2006), Captain Phillips, and Saving Mr. Banks (both 2013), as well as for his voice work in the animated films The Polar Express (2004) and the Toy Story series.
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

If there are nine guys auditioning and they're all gorgeous, I have an advantage, because gorgeous guys are a dime a dozen. But if they need someone else - like a goofy guy with bad hair who is just okay - then that's me. And finally, the other 2 per...

Tom Hanks

As an actor I am always waiting for my luck to run out.

Tom Hanks

Yeah! I got type-two diabetes! I'm sure there's going to be some media scandal now, saying I got it because I gained and lost weight for movie parts or something - but I doubt that.

Tom Hanks

A hero is somebody who voluntarily walks into the unknown.

Tom Hanks

Some people are cowards... I think by and large a third of people are villains, a third are cowards, and a third are heroes. Now, a villain and a coward can choose to be a hero, but they've got to make that choice.

Tom Hanks

Repertory theater is all about being part of the whole, one of the many colors in this vast palette.

Tom Hanks

But television, when I was doing it, was all about scoring. You had to make these jokes bang, do whatever you could to make the material really pop. And if it didn't, there was something wrong with the material, or with you.

Tom Hanks

Larger-than-life characters make up about .01 percent of the world's population.

Tom Hanks

I always wanted to play Lestrade of Scotland Yard 'cause he's a buffoon that gets to wear a uniform. I thought that would be fun.

Tom Hanks

I would not want to live in a country that would have me as a leader in any sort of political bent.

Tom Hanks

If I was to direct Ron Howard, I guarantee you, I would put him through a living hell every day. I would demand so much of him. We wouldn't quit until he leaves the set crying. Weeping! Spent!

Tom Hanks

I've talked to a number of actors who have gained weight for roles, and just the sheer physical toll it puts on one's knees and shoulders - no one wants to do it again. I'm 57 and I don't think I'm going to take on any job or go on vacation again and...

Tom Hanks

By and large, the making of motion pictures is all about, 'Let's ratchet it up.' And I always think, 'We don't need to ratchet this up.' If you do, don't call it 'Captain Phillips' or 'The Maersk Alabama.' Call it something else, and then you have ca...

Tom Hanks

I think I'm lucky that I had kids as spread out as much as I did, 'cause my son, my oldest, was born when I was 21. And my youngest is 15 now. He was born when I was 40, you know?

Tom Hanks

I went to college because I didn't have anywhere else to go and it was a fabulous hang. And while I was there I was exposed to this world that I didn't know was possible.

Tom Hanks

And then it was like, wait, you can go to college and study theater? And act in plays? This is almost a racket, you know. And then when the opportunity came along to do it professionally, I thought I'd won the lottery.

Tom Hanks

My wife keeps on telling me my worst fault is that I keep things to myself and appear relaxed. But I am really in a room in my own head and not hearing a thing anyone is saying.

Tom Hanks

There's a small percentage of people who can act. There's a small percentage who get to do this for a living. There's a swath of the population that are able to keep a story in their head and fight all the battles against self-consciousness and the s...

Tom Hanks

My doctor said, 'If you can weigh what you weighed in high school, you'll essentially be healthy and not have Type 2 diabetes.' Well, I'm gonna have Type 2 diabetes, because there is no way I can weigh as much as I did in high school.

Tom Hanks

I will entertain anything; it doesn't matter. You know, it's not obviously about the price, it's not about who, it's kind of about when and what. It's material, that's all.

Tom Hanks

When I was 21 years old, I had a job playing Santa Claus in a shopping centre in Sacramento. I was rail thin, so it's not like I was a traditional Santa Claus even then. I had a square stomach; that was the shape of the sofa cushion that I had stuffe...

Tom Hanks

Author Bio

  • NameTom Hanks
  • DescriptionAmerican actor
  • BornJuly 9, 1956
  • CountryUnited States Of America
  • ProfessionFilm Actor; Film Director; Actor; Film Producer; Writer; Voice Actor; Screenwriter; Composer
  • AwardsAcademy Award For Best Actor; Primetime Emmy Award; Academy Award For Best Actor; Screen Actors Guild Award For Outstanding Performance By A Male Actor In A Leading Role; Screen Actors Guild Award For Outstanding Performance By A Cast In A Motion Picture; Golden Globe Award For Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical Or Comedy; Golden Globe Award For Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama; Golden Globe Award For Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama; Golden Globe Award For Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama