Tom Hanks has been a part of movies and celebrity culture for the better part of four decades. He's both likable and kind, with many people considering him to be one of the few pure good souls in the world of Hollywood. Over the years Hanks has played many different characters in a variety of genres and entertainment mediums, earning a special place in the hearts of Disney fans most notably.
With such a large collection of movie roles to choose from, it's hard coming up with the best of the best. From voicing characters in Pixar movies to taking on the role of survivors and heroes, Hanks has managed to fill out a rather impressive IMDB page of credits.
8 Big
Critically speaking some could argue there are more notable movies Tom Hanks was featured in, but Big holds an important place in his career and is more than enjoyable in its own right. The movie is about a kid who wishes to be larger in order to ride a local carnival attraction but instead receives a monkey's paw wish that morphs him into an adult body. Hanks is tasked with playing the role of a kid trapped in a grown adult's body, which he delivers on in spades. The movie is equal parts endearing and hysterical, and in many ways is considered the true start to his storied and accomplished career on the big screen.
7 A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood
Tom Hanks has always been considered one of the most genuine celebrities, so it's fitting that he'd end up playing the role of Mister Rogers. The biographical drama, titled A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood, was focused on showcasing the type of man Fred Rogers was off-camera as people tried to find the skeletons assumedly hidden in his closet. Over the years of Rogers hosting his publicly televised show, he brought so much kindness and empathy into the world that's rarely ever been matched by another singular human being. The movie and Tom Hanks' performance work so well because both he and Rogers are very much cut from the same cloth in terms of the people they are at their core.
6 Forrest Gump
It's unclear if Forrest Gump would work in the modern era, but regardless of that, the movie still holds up and is regarded by many people to be one of the most uplifting and heartwarming stories of all time. It centers on a singular character and audiences get to see him experience life in his own unique way.
It feels as though the reason people connect to Tom Hanks in this role is that everyone endures setbacks in life, and they want to believe they're strong enough to continue forward, and Forrest Gump as fictitious as he is, embodies the resolve and unrelenting optimism many people wish they had or could achieve.
5 A League Of Their Own
Amazon's Prime Video recently saw the release of a television series called A League of Their Own based on the 1992 movie featuring Tom Hanks. The movie is about a baseball team comprised of nothing but women. Hanks plays the role of an alcoholic player for the Chicago Cubs who manages the Rockford Peaches. His character's name is Jimmy Duggan, and the character slowly evolves from a cynic laughing at the idea of an all-female baseball league to becoming a staunch supporter and believer in the team. It's often considered one of the best sports movies of all time as it takes viewers on an emotional rollercoaster from start to finish.
4 The Green Mile
The Green Mile is an emotionally draining movie released in 1999, based on a Stephen King novel of the same name which came out in 1996. On the surface it appears to be a piece of historical fiction, but as the story unfolds audiences are treated to plenty of mysterious and fantastical occurrences. Alongside Tom Hanks, the late Michael Clarke Duncan provides the best performance of his career as a misunderstood death row inmate named John Coffey. It ended up being nominated for several Academy Awards, largely driven by the onscreen chemistry between both Hanks and Clarke Duncan.
3 Saving Private Ryan
Throughout their careers, many actors make it a point to challenge themselves when it comes to taking on roles that challenge their acting ability and range. Tom Hanks was often seen as a goofy and lovable everyman, but Saving Private Ryan was a pivot point in his career where audiences saw just how good he could be in a more serious and dramatic role.
The movie was directed by Steven Spielberg and featured Hanks in the role of Captain John H. Miller, in a story that took place during the Battle of Normandy during World War II. Not only did Hanks play a leading role in what many film critics believe to be arguably the greatest war film of all time, but he was also nominated and won several major awards.
2 Cast Away
Very rarely do movies make it into general pop culture regardless of how critically acclaimed or box office successful they are. Tom Hanks has managed to be a part of more than a handful of movies that have accomplished this feat. Cast Away has Tom Hanks taking on the role of a plane crash survivor during the most harrowing days of his life. Along his journey, Chuck Noland finds and befriends a volleyball, going as far as to name it Wilson. Outside of the film being considered an all-time classic and resulting in Hanks winning the Oscar for Best Actor in a Leading Role in 2001, yelling out "Wilson!" has maintained itself as a go-to comedic bit amongst friends.
1 Toy Story 3
Depending on the age of the person reading this, it'd likely be argued which of the four movies in the Toy Story series should be listed, but that's not important. What's really important is that Tom Hanks played a huge role in bringing a character to life multiple generations of kids grew attached to. Woody always served as the main character of the animated movies, and through him, kids learned about how important their relationship with their toys was to them. The original Toy Story did a lot of animation in general, but it also showcased once again how endearing an animated character could be with talented voice actors like Tom Hanks giving his all to the role.