As Tom Hanks re-teams with his "Captain Phillips" director Paul Greengrass for a stark and gritty Western in 2020's "News of the World,"  we run down the 20 most memorable movie characters from Hanks' career.

#20: Rick Gassko - “Bachelor Party” - It's hard to imagine America’s Dad in a raunchy, screwball comedy. But that is exactly how Tom Hanks started his film career.

Tom Hanks, Bradford Bancroft in "Bachelor Party."

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#19: Dr. Henry Goose, Isaac Sachs, Zachry, et. al. - “Cloud Atlas” - Say what you will about “Cloud Atlas,” but here you have Tom Hanks playing six different characters, in six different genres, all in one movie.

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#18: Robert Langdon - “The Da Vinci Code,” “Angels & Demons,” “Inferno” - Tom Hanks portrays Dan Brown’s Harvard Symbiologist (is that even a thing?). There were many controversies surrounding these movies, but none more controversial than that of Tom Hanks’ long hair.

Audrey Tautou, Tom Hanks in "The Da Vinci Code."

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#17: Det. Scott Turner - “Turner & Hooch” - “Don't eat the car! Not the car! Oh, what am I yelling at you for? You're a dog!” This line, that Detective Turner shouts at his furry partner Hooch, was used in test footage for “Toy Story,” and helped convince Hanks to take on the role of Sheriff Woody.

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#16: Viktor Navorski - “The Terminal” - To get the old world sounding accent for his man-without-a-country character of Viktor Navorski, Tom Hanks based his performance on his Bulgarian father-in-law who can speak multiple languages, including Russian, Turkish, Polish and Greek.

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#15: Paul Edgecomb - “The Green Mile” - Tom Hanks could have starred in the Frank Darabont adaptation of Stephen King’s novella “The Shawshank Redemption.” Instead he chose “Forrest Gump.” Hanks got a second chance at a King adaptation, much to the delight of both Darabont and the author, as the sympathetic corrections officer Paul Edgecomb.

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#14: Allen Bauer - “Splash” - It’s easy to forget Tom Hanks’ start in comedy, but his timing was impeccable. Hanks’ Allen Bauer falls head-over-heels in love with a true fish (mermaid) out of water, and perfectly plays the straight man to Daryl Hannah, John Candy and Eugene Levy.

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#13: Michael Sullivan - “Road to Perdition” - Tom Hanks is known as an actor that rarely ever plays a bad guy. Mob enforcer Michael Sullivan is probably his darkest, even if his dirty deeds are downplayed and only hinted at on screen. Hanks was drawn to the role as father, understanding that the choices you make in life have a large impact on your children.

Tyler Hoechlin, Tom Hanks in "Road to Perdition."

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#12: Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger - “Sully” - Pilot Chesley Sullenberger is a true hero; and who better to portray him than Tom Hanks, of course? Hanks spent half a day with the former pilot to get into his head. The real Sully was later impressed by how well Hanks nailed his on-screen characterization.

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#11: Sam Baldwin & Joe Fox - “Sleepless in Seattle” & “You’ve Got Mail” - Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan were so perfect on screen together, you almost wished they were married in real life. Director Nora Ephron paired them twice in the ‘90s and we can’t pick a Hanks role in these rom-coms that’s any better than the other.

Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan in "Sleepless in Seattle" and "You've Got Mail."

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#10: Mr. White - “That Thing You Do!” - A&R rep for the fictional Playtone Records who helps lead the Wonders (formerly the Oneders) into their brief touch at stardom. The film was written (including some of the songs) and directed by Tom Hanks. Mr. White is a take on Beatles manager Brian Epstein.

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#9: Carl Hanratty - “Catch Me If You Can” - Steven Spielberg’s second collaboration with Tom Hanks is based on a true story. Hanks’ FBI agent Carl Hanratty serves as both a foil and a surrogate father figure to con man Frank Abagnale Jr. (Leonardo DiCaprio). Hanratty was based on real-life Special Agent Joseph Shea, who forged a similar relationship with the real Abagnale Jr.

Tom Hanks, Frank John Hughes, Brian Howe in "Catch Me If You Can."

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#8: Chuck Noland - “Cast Away” - Who else, besides Tom Hanks, could carry a whole movie with no supporting actors, save for a volleyball, for two hours? Hanks’ FedEx systems engineer Chuck Noland is a man determined to see that packages are safely and efficiently delivered. When his FedEx plane crashes, stranding him on a deserted island, he holds on to the one package that survives and sees to it that it’s delivered in the end. Of course, if he opened the box, maybe he would have found a satellite phone.

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#7: Josh Baskin - “Big” - We can’t really think of anyone from the ‘80s, or even now, who would be more perfect in the role as the grown-up-yet-still-a-kid Josh Baskin. This was the role that fittingly made Tom Hanks big, and earned him his first Oscar nomination for Best Actor.

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#6: Jimmy Dugan - “A League of Their Own” - The Rockford Peaches' manager Jimmy Dugan knows there’s no tears when playing America’s favorite pastime. The hard-drinking, out-of-shape Dugan was loosely based on real-life sluggers Jimmie Foxx and Lewis “Hack” Wilson. Hanks’ famous line about crying, or the lack thereof, in baseball was ranked #54 in AFI’s list of “100 Great Movie Quotes.”

Bitty Schram and Tom Hanks in "A League of Their Own."

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#5: Jim Lovell - “Apollo 13” - Tom Hanks followed-up his Academy Award-winning performance in “Forrest Gump” by portraying real-life astronaut Jim Lovell, one of the three astronauts who nearly made it to the moon in 1970. Hanks’ famous line back to NASA Mission Control in Houston was not actually spoken the way it is on film. Lovell’s actual words were, “Houston, we’ve had a problem.”

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#4: Sheriff Woody - The “Toy Story” Movies - He's the favorite pull-string cowboy doll of Andy, and a former star of his own TV show from the ‘50s. Tom Hanks has likened doing vocal work on “Toy Story” to a four-hour ab workout, as it’s just as physically demanding. Perhaps that’s why when you hear Woody’s voice from actual Woody dolls, it’s really the voice of Hanks’ brother, Jim.

Woody (voice: Tom Hanks) in key art for "Toy Story 4."

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#3: Forrest Gump - “Forrest Gump” - Tom Hanks earned his second Oscar by playing the memorable character who espouses mom-isms like “life is like a box of chocolates,” while traversing through nearly all the singular moments from the late-‘50s to the ‘70s. Hanks based Gump’s southern accent on Michael Conner Humphreys, the child actor who was hired to play young Forrest and who actually talked that way.

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#2: Andrew Beckett - “Philadelphia” - Tom Hanks lost nearly 30 pounds to play wrongfully fired lawyer Andrew Beckett, who was suffering from AIDS. Hanks would go on to receive his first Oscar for his performance in a film that is considered the first mainstream movie to tackle the issue of AIDS, and one that helped usher in more realistic depictions of LGBT characters in Hollywood.

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#1: Captain John H. Miller - “Saving Private Ryan”: The capable captain of the 2nd Ranger Battalion, who leads his company through the bloodshed of D-Day and then deep into France to locate the eponymous Private Ryan and send him home. Simply put: Tom Hanks + Steven Spielberg + WWII -- there is no greater match-up of actor, director and setting.

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Tom Hanks' 20 Most Memorable Movie Characters

Movie Lists

The tragic story of Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) and her family being tortured by Michael Myers continues this October. The most recent film from the franchise, 2018's "Halloween," concluded with what looked like the end of Michael Myers. As a burning house billowed with smoke while Myers lay trapped under the floorboards, it seemed quite certain that his murderous escapades had come to an end. Unfortunately for the Strode family, he was somehow able to escape. And now with the final trailer for "Halloween Kills," we've seen some of Michael's old obsessions come out of the woodwork to help take down this boogeyman for good. So, let's see if we notice anything new about what the future holds by breaking down the new trailer.

If you've been keeping up with the franchise even in the most basic way, then you know that Michael Myers is just built different. So, it should come as no surprise that the man can survive being trapped in a burning house. If the firefighters didn't come save the day, we'd say that Myers would be toast. But because they weren't informed of the notorious murderer burning alive in the basement, there's no way they could have predicted he would use them as his way out. Laurie Strode only gets about a moment of relief in thinking it's finally over. Then, she learns that Myers somehow escaped his flame-filled tomb.

Though it's bad luck that the "man" broke free, we do have some good news. This time around, Laurie is getting some backup. When Michael went on his first spree, he wasn't able to kill everyone who crossed his path. The Myers survivors are now coming back with a vengeance to put an end to this. This won't be an easy undertaking as Michael has never been taken down. But with the new squad, including many from the original 1978 "Halloween," at least they'll have a fighting chance.

As the bodies of his new victims begin to appear around the city, they all seem to be leading in one direction...back to his childhood home. Will Laurie finally be able to unmask this evil man so she can watch him die for herself? Or will Myers sidestep death once again and continue the reign of terror? Only time will tell (since there's one more sequel set to be released next year, he'll make it till then at least). In the meantime, click below to see the final trailer for "Halloween Kills."

Halloween Kills

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'Halloween Kills' Trailer Breakdown: The Survivors of Myers

Movie Trailers

It was another marvelous weekend for Marvel's "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings." The superhero actioner, directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, is the box office champ for the third week in a row. The film took in $21.7M over the weekend, pushing its total domestic haul to $176.9M. This was more than enough for the Marvel movie to reclaim the top box office crown. "Shang-Chi" only posted a 37% drop from the previous week, thereby breaking a record as the best third-week performance by any title in the MCU.

Disney also claimed the #2 spot with their 20th Century release, "Free Guy." The studio now accounts for more than 60% of the box office total and remains the dominant force at the box office. This includes the still-strong "Jungle Cruise," in spite of its at-home availability, and the weekend's soft launch for Searchlight's "The Eyes of Tammy Faye."

While the weekend was glowing for big budget tentpoles, it wasn't all good news for the mid-budget newcomers. Clint Eastwood's "Cry Macho," his 44th film with Warner Bros., placed third with a soft $4.5M. Open Road's thriller "Copshop," starring Gerard Butler and Frank Grillo, placed 6th with a gross of $2.3M. Lastly, Searchlight's "The Eyes of Tammy Faye," which generated strong buzz at Toronto yet received paltry reviews, took in $675K and placed 9th.

The concern here is that while the crowds have come back for big tentpoles, older audiences who usually make up the demo for mid-budget and arthouse releases, have not yet come back in force. This could pose a problem as the summer gives way to the fall, and an awards season that's mainly made up of these kinds of films.

There is a glowing light, however. Overseas, WB's "Dune" posted a very strong opening, pulling in $36.8M from 24 mostly European territories. Warner Bros is confident that "Dune" will be their strongest release of the pandemic era, as they report its international performance is ahead of "Tenet," "Godzilla vs. Kong," and even "Black Widow" at this stage of release, and "Dune" director Denis Villeneuve's previous "Blade Runner 2049." Additionally, "Dune" was given the green light in China, along with MGM's "No Time to Die." Both will be opening October 22 in the Middle Kingdom. 

Until then "Shang-Chi" should continue its September dominance. This week's only major outing is Universal's Broadway adaptation "Dear Evan Hansen."

"Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings" (Disney) - $21,700,000 / Overall: $176,893,555

"Free Guy" (20th Century) - $5,200,000 / Overall: $108,576,030

"Candyman" (Universal) - $3,500,000 / Overall: $53,168,490

"Malignant" (WB) - $2,680,000 / Overall: $9,803,527

"Jungle Cruise" (Disney) $2,089,000 / Overall: $112,583,336

"PAW Patrol: The Movie" (Paramount) - $1,750,000 / Overall: $37,143,497

"The Eyes of Tammy Faye" (Searchlight) - $675,000 [NEW]

"Don't Breathe 2" (Screen Gems) - $665,000 / Overall: $31,338,128

Box office data comes to us from Box Office Mojo.

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

MCU: Marvel Cinematic Universe

Black Widow

No Time to Die

Dear Evan Hansen

Free Guy

Jungle Cruise

The Eyes of Tammy Faye

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Cry Macho

Dune

Tenet

Godzilla vs. Kong

Box Office - Michelle Yeoh and Simu Liu in "Shang-Chi."

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Box Office: 'Shang-Chi' Towers Over 'Cry Macho' in Third Week

Movie News

For the last quarter century, his credits include more than 50 movies and 25 television projects. If you watch anything in the realm of entertainment, you probably recognize him. We tip our hats to the amazing, gifted actor Michael Pena.

You know him as the fast-talking, wisecracking Luis in the MCU movies "Ant-Man" and "Ant-Man and the Wasp." He's also astronaut Major Rick Martinez in "The Martian."

The Indie Spirit Awards nominated him for his role as Officer Zavala in "End of Watch." And he appeared in consecutive Best Picture winners "Million Dollar Baby" and "Crash."

The ALMA (American Latino Media Arts) Awards recognized him for special achievement for his role as the famed labor leader in 2014's "Caesar Chavez." They also nominated him for Outstanding Actor for Oliver Stone's "World Trade Center."

He won the same award earlier for "Crash." And he was later nominated for another ALMA for Favorite Movie Actor for "Battle: Los Angeles."

Michael Pena was born in 1976 in Chicago, Illinois. Both his parents emigrated from Mexico. Pena played sports growiing up (wrestling and track) and performed in the arts. He starred in indie productions by age 18. His early roles include small parts in gritty dramas "Star Maps," "La Cucaracha," and "Bellyfruit."

By the early '00s, Pena drew notices in the Nicolas Cage action flick "Gone in 60 Seconds" and Joaquin Phoenix's black comedy "Buffalo Soldiers." After his turn in 2004's "Crash," Pena found steady work in ambitious projects like "World Trade Center" and Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu's multi-narrative "Babel."

The actor's also managed to work across genre lines. He was funny in movies like the Eddie Murphy crime caper "Tower Heist" and Seth Rogen's "Observe and Report." But he balanced comedies with dramas like the cop thriller "End of Watch" and the World War II film "Fury" with Brad Pitt and Shia LaBeouf.

As well, he appeared in plenty of big budget spectacles - Ridley Scott's "The Martian," the animated "The Lego Ninjago Movie," the Ant-Man series. As such, his diversity of films made him one of the more familiar talents in Hollywood.

While Pena's turn as activist Cesar Chavez is incredible, the final movie "Cesar Chavez" is a mixed result overall. For a great Michael Pena film that's underappreciated, check out his turn as a policeman opposite partner Jake Gyllenhaal in "End of Watch." Writer-director David Ayer creates an urban nightmare where cops are always at risk. Pena is throughly believable as a man in blue  who does his best to perform his duties and survive. It's one of his finest roles to date, and one that's impossible to forget.

Thankfully for Michael Pena fans, the actor has two great projects on the docket. First is the upcoming disaster movie "Moonfall" from "Independence Day" director Roland Emmerich. It arrives in theaters February 4, 2022, and co-stars Halle Berry, Patrick Wilson, and Kelly Yu. Pena's other big project is "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania." It won't be out until February 17, 2023. But we'll be ready for it.

Tom Hanks' 20 Most Memorable Movie Characters

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