World-renowned, multi-award-winning actor Tom Hanks has revealed his picks for the top three films of his career. Hanks has been acting since the early 1980s, starting with roles in TV shows like Bosom Buddies. His first significant film role came with 1984 rom-com Splash, which would also be his first of many collaborations with director Ron Howard. The remainder of the 80s would see Hanks finding success in comedies like Dragnet, Turner & Hooch, and Big, which earned him his first Oscar nomination. However, Hanks sought to expand his resume with more dramatic work.
In 1993, Hanks starred in Philadelphia as a man who has HIV and is wrongfully terminated from his job. That role earned Hanks his first Best Actor Oscar win. Not being one to rest on his laurels, Hanks followed Philadelphia with 1994's Forrest Gump, earning him his second Best Actor Academy Award. Hanks would go on to be nominated for another three Oscars for Saving Private Ryan, Cast Away, and A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood. He also ventured into producing with projects like HBO's Band of Brothers and even directing with films like That Thing You Do. His voice is also instantly recognizable as that of Woody from the Toy Story franchise. With almost a hundred acting credits to his name, narrowing it down to the top three would be no easy task.
While speaking on The Bill Simmons Podcast (via ET Canada), Hanks was asked to pick the top three films of his career. Hanks said his choices come down to his experience while making the films, which led to some unique choices. While two of Hanks' picks, A League of Their Own and Cast Away, can easily be seen as fan favorites, his third choice was the ambitious misfire Cloud Atlas.
Though it does fit into his stated criteria, Hanks said of Cloud Atlas' cast that they were "fantastic people who were just trying to do the hardest, best work on a deep throw… making it was magical." Cloud Atlas saw Hanks portraying several characters at different points in time, as it explored the ramifications of actions across thousands of years. Unfortunately, while impressively shot and acted, the film debuted to middle-of-the-road reviews and lackluster box office. In discussing A League of Their Own, Hanks explained, "all I did all summer was play baseball." Many would agree with Hanks' choice, as the Penny Marshall-directed film is often considered a classic, in no small part due to his performance as the rough around the edges Jimmy Dugan. However, Hanks also mentioned the wonderful time he got to spend with his family during the production.
Finally, Hanks had an easy explanation for Cast Away's position in his list, saying "we just had bold adventures when making that movie." Ultimately, Cast Away is perhaps the oddest choice for Hanks' top films, since he previously revealed that he almost died filming the movie due to an infected cut that put him in the hospital. Unsurprisingly, though, Hanks is an optimist, and it's clear that the good outweighs the bad for the actor. With such an impressive and long-running filmography, it must have proved difficult for the star to whittle his list down. It's also likely that many fans will disagree with Hanks, perhaps choosing some of his more critically-acclaimed work as their favorites. Either way, it's impossible to deny Tom Hanks' status as one of the most beloved and talented stars in Hollywood.
Source: The Bill Simmons Podcast (via ET Canada)