Date of Birth 9 July 1956, Concord, California

Birth Name Thomas Jeffrey Hanks

Height 6'

Trade Mark Playing conflicted regular guys

Spouses

Rita Wilson (30 April 1988 - present) 2 children

Samantha Lewes (24 January 1978 - 19 March 1987) (divorced) 2 children

Born in California, Tom Hanks grew up in what he calls a 'fractured' family. His parents were pioneers in the development of marriage dissolution law in that state, and Tom moved around a lot, living with a succession of step-families. No problems, no abuse, no alcoholism, just a confused childhood. He had no acting experience in college, and in fact credits the fact that he couldn't get cast in a college play with actually starting his career - he went downtown, auditioned for a community theater play, was invited by the director of that play to go to Cleveland, and there his acting career started. He met his second wife, actress Rita Wilson on the set of the movie Volunteers (1985) - they have two children and Tom has another son and daughter by his first wife. In 1996 he made his first step behind the camera, directing as well as starring and writing the film That Thing You Do! (1996).