The single moment that Tom Hanks knew he wanted to be an actor: “I knew I’d do anything”
There is a certain image that will be forever attached to Tom Hanks, and it is a very, very wholesome one.
Routinely described as “America’s Dad”, the actor has built a career out of affability. During his earliest moments, Hanks was able to play a range of different characters that all seemed to have humility as their core. Whether it was in Big, Forrest Gump or even Saving Private Ryan, Hanks’ characters largely stood for honesty and integrity.
Ask any actor, and they will likely share with you that the easiest characters to play are the ones that feel most like your personality. With that said, it could be that Hanks wasn’t playing characters with humanity at their core, but that he brought those qualities to the performance. And, considering his upbringing, this rings true.
“I had no dreams at all growing up. The concept of having huge dreams when you’re young and always having one eye on the prize – that’s something I’ve honestly never understood,” Hanks once explained to Business-Standard. Far removed from the mega-star he would become, Hanks thought acting would provide just enough to live on. “I did not have a single dream growing up, or even a five-year plan. I’m serious. I just wanted to make a little bit of money to get by. A little bit more than nothing,” he added.
Of course, now, Hanks is one of the wealthiest actors in Hollywood, with a supposed net worth of $400million. But, like so many stars, his best moments came at far more humble points in his life. One such instance happened when he joined a theatre school and began to visit the theatre more regularly. It would be this experience that would shape the young man into the dedicated actor he would become.
“I took a drama class that determined my career. In the course of ten weeks, I saw five completely different types of theater,” Hanks once explained to Playboy. “I felt that the theatre was as magical a place as existed, and I wanted to be involved in it.” It’s a feeling that many kids have felt.
The bright lights, the hushed audience, and the space to be seen are an appealing opportunity for most young men. Hanks was captivated by the promise of the theatre. But this is another facet that sets him apart. While others may have dreamt of being under the spotlight, Hanks saw fit to enact his vision.
“So I majored in theatre arts,” he continued. “After I saw a Berkeley Repertory Theater production of The Iceman Cometh, I knew I’d do anything to be a part of it.” Written by Eugene O’Neill, the play has been a mainstay on theatre boards for decades, and it connected with Hanks in a way that nothing had done before. In witnessing the heart-wrenching story of alcoholics in the throes of deep depression trying to embrace sobriety, Hanks found his humility.
This, couple with the drive to actually get up there and be seen, would become the foundations on which Hanks would base his entire career.
