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Tom Hanks is a beloved actor, screenwriter, and director who has captured the hearts of audiences around the world.
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Born on July 9, 1956, in Concord, California, Hanks began his acting career in the late 1970s and has since become one of the most recognizable and acclaimed actors in Hollywood.
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Hanks' early career was marked by a series of supporting roles in films and television shows.
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His breakthrough came in 1984 when he landed the lead role in the hit comedy "Splash," playing a man who falls in love with a mermaid.
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The film was a huge success and helped establish Hanks as a leading man.
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Throughout the 1980s and early 1990s, Hanks continued to build his career with roles in films like "Big," "The 'Burbs," and "A League of Their Own."
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However, it was his performance in the 1993 drama "Philadelphia" that earned him critical acclaim and his first Academy Award.
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In the film, Hanks played a gay lawyer who is fired from his law firm after contracting AIDS.
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Hanks' second Academy Award came the following year for his performance in "Forrest Gump," a film that has since become a classic.
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In the film, Hanks played the titular character, a slow-witted but good-hearted man who finds himself at the center of some of the most important moments in American history.