Ten Things You Didn’t Know About Tom Hanks: Memorabilia and Memorable Facts

From Saving Private Ryan to Sleepless in Seattle, Tom Hanks has brought us some of the most memorable performances of all time. He is in the business of making great films- and being a genuinely likable human being.

The Tom Hanks memorabilia page and site are always filing with new items for fans to flock to. First, check out these ten interesting and little-known facts about Tom Hanks and his life and career.

Tom Hanks not only played Mr. Rogers- he is also related to him in real life.

Tom Hanks played iconic TV personality Fred Rogers- but shared DNA also shows they are related! It is not his only famous distant relative- he also has an ancestral link to Abraham Lincoln.

He used to sell peanuts and sodas and baseball games.

One of Tom Hanks’ first jobs was selling concessions as a teen during Oakland A’s games.

When Forrest Gump needed funding for a famous scene, Tom Hanks paid for it himself.

Paramount Pictures refused to pay for an expensive scene where Forrest runs across the country (a classic moment in the film). Hanks and the director split the bill in return for a higher cut of the profits- which paid off to the tune of over $60,000,000.

There is an international Tom Hanks appreciation day.

The closest Saturday to April 1st has been celebrated as International Tom Hanks Day since 2004- when students of Western Michigan University started the trend by getting people together for a Hanks movie marathon.

Hanks and his wife were the first Hollywood A-Listers to come down with COVID-19.

Hanks and his wife, Rita Wilson, were the first big celebs to announce they had tested positive for the COVID-19 virus in early 2020.

NASA named an asteroid after Tom Hanks.

There is an asteroid called 12818 Tomhanks- named by NASA along with 8353 Megryan. The two asteroids were discovered years apart in different hemispheres- but came together at their closest point to Earth in 2011.

Hanks has a collection of over 250 typewriters.

Everyone has a hobby- and for Hanks, that just happens to be collecting typewriters. He likes to purchase collectibles- around 90% are reportedly in perfect working order.

His debut character role was saved from being killed off because Hanks was so likable.

It may not be surprising to hear that America’s favorite movie star and poster boy for being a good guy was so likable in his breakout acting role that he saved his character’s life. The filmmakers decided not to kill off his character in He Knows You’re Alone after getting on so well with Hanks on set- a clear sign of greatness to come!

It’s not all about acting- Hanks has also produced around two dozen movies.

Acting may be Tom Hanks’s forte- but he is also a talented producer. He has worked on many successful movies in a producing role- including Cast Away, My Big Fat Greek Wedding, The Polar Express, and Mamma Mia.

Tom Hanks is one of only two people to win a back-to-back acting Oscars.

Hanks won the 1994 best leading actor Oscar for Philadelphia- then took the same award a year later in 1995 for Forrest Gump. It had only been done once before- and has not been repeated since! It’s no wonder Tom Hanks autographs are so sought after!