He was America’s favorite everyman. 🎬 Two Oscars, a billion-dollar cartoon cowboy, and a birthday that made the whole internet say “wait, HOW is he 70?” From Concord, California, to the top of Hollywood — this is Tom Hanks, updated for 2026.
Tom Hanks Then 🌱
Thomas Jeffrey Hanks was born on July 9, 1956, in Concord, California. His childhood was far from simple — his parents split when he was young, and he moved around a lot.
He found his place on stage. After community theater in Cleveland, he moved to New York in the late 1970s to chase acting for real.
TV came first. He starred in the sitcom “Bosom Buddies” (1980–1982), playing a guy who dresses as a woman to live in a cheap apartment. It was silly. It worked.
Movies followed. “Splash” (1984) made him a leading man. “Big” (1988) made him a star — he earned his first Oscar nomination playing a kid trapped in a grown-up’s body.
Then came the run of a lifetime. “Philadelphia” (1993) won him the Academy Award for Best Actor. The very next year, “Forrest Gump” won him another one. Back-to-back Oscars — only a handful of actors have ever done that.
The 90s kept rolling. “Apollo 13.” “Toy Story” — where he first voiced Woody, a role he’d still be playing 30 years later. “Saving Private Ryan.” “You’ve Got Mail.”
By the end of the decade, he wasn’t just a movie star. He was the guy everyone trusted — on screen and off.
The Middle: The Most Reliable Man in Movies 👑
The 2000s proved it wasn’t a fluke. “Cast Away” (2000) — mostly just him and a volleyball — earned another Oscar nomination. “Catch Me If You Can” (2002) paired him with Leonardo DiCaprio.
“The Da Vinci Code” (2006) turned him into a global blockbuster machine all over again. Like Matt Damon, Hanks became the rare star who could open both a drama and a tentpole.
Behind the camera, he built an empire. With Gary Goetzman, he founded Playtone — the company behind “Band of Brothers,” “The Pacific,” and “Masters of the Air.”
He wrote books too. His short story collection “Uncommon Type” (2017) was a hit. His novel “The Making of Another Major Motion Picture Masterpiece” followed in 2023.
The honors piled up: the Cecil B. DeMille Award, the Kennedy Center Honor, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2016.
And through it all, the marriage held. He wed Rita Wilson on April 30, 1988 — and like Julia Roberts, another 90s icon, he kept his family life remarkably steady in a town famous for the opposite.
The 2020s brought new chapters. “Elvis” (2022). “A Man Called Otto” (2022) — a surprise crowd-pleaser. “Asteroid City” (2023). “Here” (2024), reuniting him with Robin Wright and director Robert Zemeckis.
Tom Hanks Now 📈
Today, Tom Hanks is 70. He hit the milestone on July 9, 2026 — and tributes poured in from across Hollywood. 🎂
And he’s not slowing down. Not even close.
On June 19, 2026, “Toy Story 5” hit theaters. Hanks was back as Woody — a role he’s voiced since 1995. The film sailed past $1 billion worldwide, one of the year’s biggest hits.
But don’t ask him about Toy Story 6 just yet. “If you’re gonna do another ‘Toy Story,’ it better be worthwhile,” he told Entertainment Weekly. “Unless it’s good, new, fresh, there’s no reason to do it at all.”
He’s also gone back to his roots — World War II. In 2026, he’s narrating a new History Channel docuseries walking viewers through the war’s most crucial moments. It fits: from “Saving Private Ryan” to “Band of Brothers” to “Greyhound,” nobody in Hollywood owns the genre like Hanks.
Speaking of “Greyhound” — the 2020 Apple TV naval thriller is still sitting in streaming top 10s five years later. Apple is now filming a sequel through 2026, with Hanks back, likely arriving in 2027.
More is in the pipeline. He’s in talks for Warner Bros.’ “Theo of Golden.” He’s developing “The Comebacker.” Even his 2021 sci-fi film “Finch” has roared back to life on streaming in 2026.
At home, life is steady. He and Rita Wilson — married since 1988 — remain one of Hollywood’s favorite couples. Their kids are grown: Colin, Elizabeth, Chet, and Truman.
From a sitcom cross-dresser to a two-time Oscar winner. From Woody the cowboy to a 70-year-old still headlining billion-dollar movies.
Tom Hanks didn’t just survive Hollywood. He became its conscience — and at 70, he’s still writing the story. 🤠
Quick Answers ❓
How old is Tom Hanks now?
He is 70. He was born on July 9, 1956, in Concord, California, and turned 70 in July 2026.
What is Tom Hanks doing in 2026?
He returned as Woody in Toy Story 5 (June 2026, over $1 billion worldwide), is narrating a WWII docuseries on the History Channel, and is filming Greyhound 2 for Apple TV.
How many Oscars has Tom Hanks won?
Two Best Actor Oscars, back-to-back: Philadelphia (1993) and Forrest Gump (1994). He has five acting nominations total.
Is Tom Hanks still married to Rita Wilson?
Yes. They married on April 30, 1988, and have been together ever since. They have two sons together, Chet and Truman.
Will there be a Toy Story 6?
Not confirmed. Hanks has said another film would need to be genuinely worthwhile: “unless it’s good, new, fresh, there’s no reason to do it at all.”
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