“Mama always said, ‘Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get.”
This famous quote has been etched in Forrest Gump fans for a quarter of a century. And that’s quite a long time. The words still stand true to date, and with Tom Hanks getting a lifetime award, it now seems like it was a prophecy. Guess he had no idea that he would get such an award 25 years ago.
Hanks, regarded as one of the nicest, most handsome and heart-warming characters of the last century finally got honored with what he deserved; a lifetime reward to mark his illustrious 30-year movie career at the Golden Globes event.
At 63 years old, Hanks still maintains his boyish looks. He received the Cecil B. DeMille award in an event where he also got nominated as the best supporting actor for playing as Mister Rogers, the adored children television presenter in the movie “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood.”
Appreciation Speech
At the ceremony, the ever-energetic Hanks lightened up the mood in his acceptance speech joking about when he was just starting out his career.
He reminded the old guns in the audience that he was particularly very emotional as a result of a bad cold when he featured in a 1970s comedy “The Love Boat”
Tom went on to thank his family, including his wife Rita Wilson and his five children. He then embarked on acknowledging a list of actors, producers, and directors that have in one way or another contributed towards his success in the movie and acting industry. Among the big names mentioned were Denzel Washington, Meryl Streep, and Meg Ryan among others.
Looking Back
Having started acting at an early age, Hanks has had a very long and successful career. He had his first big shot in a movie, ironically called “Big” in 1988, in which he played a teenager who woke up only to find himself in an adult’s body.
He went to play in other famous movies including “Philadelphia”, an AIDS drama that won him an Oscar and Golden Globes awards in 1994.
He was to win the same awards again in 1995, in what many would consider his greatest ever movie, and one of the best in that century “Forrest Gump.” To date, a lot of movie enthusiasts still remember and re-watch that movie. The character he played; Forrest Gump endeared everyone that ever watched that film.
Hanks has been in more 70 other movies, where he has starred in nearly if not all of them. Directors and producers consider him as a dependable actor, always delivering beyond their expectations. In the U.S. he is regarded as “America’s Dad”. In addition to acting, he has been a voice in various animations including that of a friendly cowboy in “Tom Story.”
Hanks is an inspiration to many, and has nurtured and continues to nurture many upcoming talents. Whether he will retire after this, no one knows. But at 63, he still got a lot to give to this industry.