Thomas Jeffrey Hanks was born in Concord, California, to Janet Marylyn (Frager), a hospital employee, and Amos Mefford Hanks, a itinerant cook. His mother’s family, originally called “Fraga,” was entirely Portuguese, while his father was primarily of English descent. Tom grew up in what he described as a “fractured” family. He moved around a lot after his parents’ divorce, living with a succession of stepfamilies. No issues, no alcoholism—just a confusing childhood. He had no acting experience in college and attributes his inability to participate in a university play to the start of his career. He went downtown and auditioned for a community theater production, was invited by the director to come to Cleveland, and that’s where his acting career began.
Ron Howard was working on Splash (1984), a fantasy comedy about a mermaid who falls in love with a businessman. Howard considered Hanks for the role of the main character’s sarcastic brother, which ultimately went to John Candy. Instead, Hanks landed the lead role, and the film became a surprise hit at the box office, grossing over $69 million. After several flops and a moderate success with the comedy Dragnet (1987), Hanks’s stature in the film industry grew. The major success of the fantasy comedy Big (1988) established him as a major Hollywood talent, both as a box office draw and within the film industry as an actor. For his performance in the film, Hanks received his first Oscar nomination for Best Actor.