Tom Hanks is being honored with a very prestigious award at the 77th Golden Globe Awards on January 5th, 2020. The two-time Oscar winner, four-time Golden Globe winner, and six-time Emmy winner is not only an actor, but also has an accomplished career as a producer, writer and director. Hanks will be this year’s recipient of the Cecil B. Demille Award, a tradition that started in 1952. Past winners include Walt Disney in 1953, whom Hanks famously portrayed in Saving Mr. Banks.
In celebration of Tom Hanks, we take a look at his past work for Disney and Fox.
Splash (Touchstone) – 1984
The debut film from Disney’s less family friendly brand Touchstone Pictures was Splash, directed by Ron Howard. Hanks was a relative unknown at the time, meeting Ron Howard in 1982 while guest starring on an episode of ABC’s Happy Days, which is how he got the male lead in this modern-day fairytale. The film co-starred Darryl Hanna, John Candy, and Eugene Levy.
Bachelor Party (Fox) – 1984
Also in 1984 was a Fox raunchy comedy called Bachelor Party. Hanks starred as Rick Glassko, a soon-to-be married man whose friends throw him the ultimate bachelor party. The film was such a big hit that ABC considered a TV series inspired by the film as recently as 2014.
The Man With One Red Shoe (Fox) – 1985
Hanks’ first box office flop was The Man With One Red Shoe, another Fox comedy. He plays a civilian who randomly gets caught up in CIA politics. The film co-starred Carrie Fisher, Jim Belushi, and Dabney Coleman.
Big (Fox) – 1988
In a premise that reads like a Disney film, Fox’s Big told the story of a boy who wished to be bigger on a fortune telling machine, waking up the next day as a full grown man with the maturity level of a thirteen-year-old. Directed by Penny Marshall and co-starring Elizabeth Perkins, Big elevated Hanks’ star status to another level and earned him his first Oscar nomination and first Golden Globe win.
Turner & Hooch (Touchstone) – 1989
This buddy cop comedy pairs Tom Hanks with man’s best friend as an officer who must pair up with the dog of a murder victem in order to find the criminal. Audio from Turner & Hooch was used by Pixar to cast Hanks as the voice of Woody in Toy Story. Turner & Hooch is now playing on Disney+.
Toy Story (Pixar) – 1995
When Tom Hanks signed on to voice the lead in Pixar’s first animated feature, it was a big gamble. Luckily for him, it paid off. The film not only changed the animation game forever, but also paved the way for three sequels, two television specials, theme park lands and attractions, and a series of short films.
That Thing You Do! (Fox) – 1996
Tom Hanks wrote, directed, and co-starred in That Thing You Do!, a period comedy about the runaway success of a rock band called “The Wonders” that includes a shot filmed at Disneyland. The record label from the film, Playtone Records, was adopted for Hanks’ film production company, Play-Tone, founded in 1998.
Toy Story 2 (Pixar) – 1999
In Toy Story 2, Woody discovers that he’s actually a highly sought after collectors item when he gets swiped by Al from Al’s Toy Barn where he meets his own expanded universe including Jessie and Bullseye. What started as a direct-to-video sequel became another theatrical hit for Pixar.
Cast Away (Fox) – 2000
Tom Hanks plays a FedEx executive who crash lands on an uninhabited island where he does whatever it takes to survive. Hanks took home another Golden Globe for the film and earned another Oscar nomination for the part. It also spawned the popular “Wilson” antenna topper of the aughts.
Road to Perdition (Fox) – 2002
Tom Hanks joined to mob in Road to Perdition, a period drama co-starring Paul Newman, Daniel Craig, Jude Law, and Stanley Tucci.
The Ladykillers (Touchstone) – 2004
A remake of a 1955 film, Tom Hanks plays a southern con artist who robs a casino with his “Band” that includes Marlon Wayans in this dark comedy.
The Simpsons Movie (Fox) – 2007
Tom Hanks played himself on a television in The Simpsons big screen adventure. See Tom Hanks go yellow on Disney+.
Toy Story 3 (Pixar) – 2010
The third installment in Pixar’s Toy Story series found Woody making a tough choice between becoming the lonely momento of young adult Andy or joining the rest of his toys as a daycare donation.
Saving Mr. Banks (Disney) – 2013
To prepare for the role of playing Walt Disney, Tom Hanks visited the Walt Disney Family Museum in San Francisco and interviewed his daughter, Diane Disney Miller. Hanks starred opposite Emma Thompson as P.L. Travers, author of the Mary Poppins books. One of the film’s scenes was shot at Disneyland with extras in 1960’s period attire. Saving Mr. Banks is streaming on Disney+.
Bridge of Spies (Touchstone/Fox) – 2015
This Steven Spielberg directed Dreamworks production was co-produced by Fox 2000 and distributed by Touchstone Pictures. Hanks plays a lawyer recruited by the CIA to negotiate the exchange of a soviet spy for a captured American in this Cold War drama.
The Post (Fox) – 2017
Another Steven Spielberg directed film for Dreamworks, this time distributed by Fox, earned Tom Hanks another Golden Globe nomination and was nominated for Best Picture. Hanks plays a reporter for The Post reporting to Meryl Streep as its new owner. Together, they expose the Pentagon Papers, documents that reveal the government’s deception over the Vietnam War.
Toy Story 4 (Pixar) – 2019
Nominated for Best Animated Feature at the Golden Globes, Toy Story 4 completes Woody’s character journey as he reunites with Bo Peep on an adventure to discover what a toy does when your kid no longer needs you.
Congratulations to Tom Hanks on a career deserving of many more awards. We at Laughing Place can’t think of a better recipient for this year’s Cecil B. Demille Award.