This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Its only attribution is to IMDb, which may not be a reliable source for biographical information. Please help by adding additional, reliable sources for verification. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (September 2007)

Roger S. H. Schulman is a film and television writer and producer. He co-wrote the animated feature Shrek, for which he won the British Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay and was nominated for an Oscar for Best Writing (Adapted Screenplay).

He previously co-wrote the animated feature Balto for executive producer Steven Spielberg, and wrote the direct-to-video projects Mulan II and The Jungle Book 2 for Walt Disney Pictures. He developed and wrote the screenplay for an animated feature about the true story of a tortoise who befriends a baby hippo after the 2004 tsunami. He's currently writing Jungle Cruise, a screenplay for Disney inspired by the theme park attraction, slated to star Tom Hanks and Tim Allen.

Schulman has also worked extensively as a producer and writer for television. He was co-creator and executive producer of the series JONAS for the Disney Channel, for which he was nominated for an Emmy award. He was also executive producer of Phil of the Future on Disney Channel. He developed and was executive producer of 2gether for MTV; he was executive producer for Living Single with Queen Latifah, for which he won an NAACP Image Award; he also wrote on Parker Lewis Can't Lose and ALF. In addition, he served as co-writer of the original pilot for The Wayans Bros. television series, as well as the pilots The Mother Load, Fresh Man and Just My Luck.

External links[link]

• Roger S. H. Schulman at the Internet Movie Database

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Look up Roger in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Roger (or Rodger) is primarily a common first name of Catalan, English and French usage, ("Rogier", "Rutger" in Dutch) from the Germanic elements hrod (fame) and ger (spear) meaning "famous with the spear." The Latin form of the name is Rogerius, as used by a few medieval figures.

The name Roger was transmitted to England by the Normans after the Norman Conquest along with other names such as William, Robert, Richard, and Hugh. It replaced its Anglo-Saxon cognate, Hroðgar. The variant Rosser comes from a Welsh derivation of the Old Norse Rhosier meaning “renown for his sword” (or spear) and first introduced to Wales via the Norman Invasion.^[1]

Radio phraseology[link]

"Roger" means "I have received all of the last transmission" in both military and civilian aviation radio communications. This usage comes from the initial R of received: R was called Roger in the radio alphabets or spelling alphabets in use by the military at the time of the invention of the radio, such as the Joint Army/Navy Phonetic Alphabet and RAF phonetic alphabet. It is also often shortened in writing to "rgr". The word Romeo is used for "R", rather than "Roger" in the modern international NATO phonetic alphabet.

Contrary to popular belief, Roger does not mean or imply "I will comply." That distinction goes to the contraction wilco (from, "will comply"), which is used exclusively if the speaker intends to say "received and will comply." Thus, the phrase "Roger Wilco" is both procedurally incorrect and redundant.^[2]

Slang[link]

Look up roger in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Roger is also a short version of the term Jolly Roger which refers to a black flag with white skull and crossbones, formerly used by sea pirates since as early as 1723.

From c.1650 to c.1870 Roger was slang for the word "penis" probably due to the origin of the name involving fame with a spear.^[3][4][5] Subsequently, "to roger" became a slang verb form meaning "to have sex with/ to penetrate", often particularly referring to anal sex.

In 19th century England, Roger was slang for the cloud of toxic green gas that swept through the chlorine bleach factories periodically.^[6]

The name 'Hodge' is a corruption of Roger and in England it was used as a colloquial term by townsfolk, implying a rustic.^[7]

Spellings[link]

The following forenames are related to the English forename Roger:

• Catalan: Roger
• Dutch: Rutger or Rogier
• French: Roger
• Galician: Roxerio, Roxelio
• German: Rüdiger, Rutger, Ruetger, Rudgar, Ruotger, Routger, Rotger, Rötger
• Greek: Ρογήρος - Rogéros
• Icelandic: Hróar, Hróðgeir
• Italian: Ruggero, Roggero, Ruggeri, Ruggiero, Rugiero
• Latin: Rogerius
• Norwegian: Roar, Roger
• Polish: Roger
• Portuguese: Rogério
• Spanish: Rogelio
• Swedish: Roar, Roger, Rutger
• Welsh: Rosser, Rozier

People[link]

Only name[link]

• Roger I of Sicily, Norman ruler of Sicily
• Roger II of Sicily, Norman ruler of Sicily
• Roger of Worcester from 1163 to 1179
• Roger Roger (composer), French composer

First name[link]

• Roger Adams, Nobel Prize chemist
• Roger Andrew Taylor, drummer for Duran Duran
• Roger Angell, baseball writer for The New Yorker
• Roger Avary, motion picture director
• Roger Bacon, English philosopher
• Roger Ballen, Photographer
• Roger Bannister, British athlete, first man to run the four minute mile
• Roger "Syd" Barrett, founder of Pink Floyd
• Roger Berrio, Colombian weightlifter
• Roger E. Billings (born 1948), American entrepreneur and developer of high-tech products
• Roger Binny, Indian cricketer
• Roger Joseph Boscovich, Croatian-Ragusan physicist, astronomer, mathematician, philosopher, diplomat, poet, and Jesuit
• Roger Boylan, American writer
• Roger C. Carmel, American character actor
• Roger A. Caras, American wildlife photographer and writer
• Roger Casement, Irish patriot, poet, revolutionary and British diplomat
• Roger Chaffee, American astronaut
• Roger Chan, The Bus Uncle
• Roger Christian (songwriter), pop music lyricist
• Roger Clemens, baseball player
• Roger Cook (journalist)
• Roger Corman, B-movie director and producer
• Roger Craig (baseball), baseball player
• Roger Craig (American football), American football player
• Roger Daltrey, lead singer of British rock band The Who
• Roger Davis (television actor), American actor
• Roger Delgado, British actor
• Roger Dobkowitz, producer and stats expert for The Price is Right
• Roger Donaldson, movie producer and director
• Roger Ebert, motion picture critic
• Roger M. Enoka, American neurophysiologist
• Roger Federer, Swiss tennis player
• Roger Galera Flores, Brazilian football (soccer) player
• Roger Fortin, Canadian boxer
• Roger Frampton, British Male Model
• Roger Frugardi, medieval surgeon
• Roger García Junyent, Spanish football (soccer) player
• Roger Gibbon, Trinidad and Tobago track cyclist
• Roger Glover, Welsh/English bassist, keyboardist, songwriter, and record producer.
• Roger González, Mexican singer, actor and conductor of Zapping Zone
• Roger Goldammer, Canadian bikebuilder
• Roger Goodell, Current commissionner of the NFL
• Roger Guerreiro, Polish football (soccer) player of Brazilian descent
• Roger Hodgson, Former vocalist and songwriter from Supertramp
• Roger Howarth, American actor
• Roger Ilegems, Belgian track cyclist and road bicycle racer
• Roger Ingram, American trumpeter, educator, and author
• Roger José de Noronha Silva, Brazilian football goalkeeper
• Roger Machado Marques, Brazilian football fullback
• Roger Manganelli, bass guitarist for Less Than Jake
• Roger Maris, baseball player
• Roger Mayweather, ex-boxer
• Roger McGuinn, singer and guitarist for The Byrds
• Roger Meddows-Taylor, British drummer for Queen
• Roger Lee Mendoza, noted pension economist and scholar
• Roger Michell, film director
• Roger Milla, Cameroon international footballer
• Roger Miller, American musician
• Roger Mills (athlete), English race walker
• Roger Moore, English actor most famous for his role as James Bond
• Roger E. Mosley, American actor
• Roger Mudd, TV journalist
• Roger Penrose, English mathematical physicist
• Roger Penske, American Businessman
• Roger Tory Peterson, American ornithologist
• Roger Pierre (1923–2010), French actor
• Roger Price (comedy) (1918–1990), American humorist who created Droodles and Mad Libs
• Roger Price (television producer) (born 1941), English television producer
• Roger Price (Australian politician) (born 1945), former Labor member of the Australian House of Representatives (1984–2010)
• Roger Toussaint, transit worker's union official
• Frère Roger, baptised Roger Louis Schutz-Marsauche, initiator of the Taizé Community
• Roger Rees, British actor
• Roger Sessions, American Music Composer
• Roger Sheaffe, British general in the War of 1812
• Roger Sherman, American revolutionary, signer of many famous documents, inventor of congressional system
• Roger Smith, American actor
• Roger Smith (executive) former Chairman and CEO of General Motors Corporation and the subject of Michael Moore's documentary film Roger & Me.
• Roger Staubach NFL Hall of Famer, 1985 class, Dallas Cowboys, mvp Super Bowl VI
• Roger Sumich, New Zealand cyclist
• Roger Meddows-Taylor, Drummer for British rock band "Queen"
• Roger Troutman, also known as Roger, R&B recording artist, singer for Zapp
• Roger Vadim, French film director
• Roger Vangheluwe, former Belgian bishop, resigned following pedophilia scandal
• Roger Waters, English rock musician and songwriter
• Roger Whittaker, British singer
• Roger Wicker (born 1951), U.S. Senator from Mississippi
• Roger Williams (theologian), co-founder of Rhode Island
• Roger Wrightson, English cricketer
• Roger Zelazny, science-fiction author

Last name[link]

• Neil Munroe ("Bunny") Roger, English couturier, war hero
• Julius Roger (1819–1865), entomologist

Fictional characters[link]

• Roger, character in the short story "Thank You, Ma'am" by Langston Hughes
• Roger Sterling, co-owner of the advertising company Sterling Cooper, a character in the television series Mad Men
• Roger, a jolly prankster of the Burger Palace Boys from the hit 50s musical Grease
• Roger (Tekken), a kangaroo character from the Tekken fighting game series, and Roger Jr., his son
• Roger (Hellboy), a homunculus, is a character from the series Hellboy
• Roger (American Dad!), Roger the Alien, fictional character from American Dad!
• Roger Chillingworth, the fictional antagonist in Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter
• Roger Davis (RENT), musician and ex-druggie of RENT
• Roger Fox, a character from the comic FoxTrot
• Roger Healey, captain/major played by Bill Daily in the I Dream of Jeannie 1960's sitcom
• Roger LeClerc, a character in the BBC sitcom 'Allo 'Allo!
• Roger Murtaugh, cop played by Danny Glover in the Lethal Weapon movies
• Roger Rabbit, cartoon character from the 1988 film Who Framed Roger Rabbit
• Roger Ramjet, cartoon superhero
• Roger Smith, the main protagonist of the anime series The Big O
• Roger Wilco (character), the fictional protagonist of the Space Quest game series
• Roger, a character in the novel Lord of the Flies, Jack's lieutenant and the savage tribe's torturer/hangman
• Roger Danish, a minor character in Arrested Development, Lindsey's high school counterpart and co-winner of the BEst Hair Award
• Roger the Shrubber, a character in Monty Python and the Holy Grail who sells a shrubbery to King Arthur and Sir Bedevere.
• Gold Roger (Gol D. Roger), the Pirate King in the manga/anime-series One Piece
• Roger Klotz, a bully on the cartoon series Doug
• Roger the Dodger, a character from The Beano
• Roger Hoyt, the main character on the short-lived series Life with Roger
• Roger Walker, one of the central protagonists in theSwallows and Amazons series by Arthur Ransome

Music[link]

• Roger That (song), by Young Money

See also[link]

• Roger Dodger (phrase)
• Ruggiero (character)

References[link]

This page or section lists people that share the same given name. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change that link to point directly to the intended article.

This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (July 2010)

Tom Hanks
Hanks at President Obama's 2009 inauguration.
Born	Thomas Jeffrey Hanks (1956-07-09) July 9, 1956 (age 55) Concord, California, U.S.
Occupation	Actor, producer, director, voice over artist, writer, speaker
Years active	1979–present
Spouse	Samantha Lewes (m. 1978–1987; divorced) Rita Wilson (m. 1988–present)
Children	Colin, Elizabeth, Chester, Truman

Thomas Jeffrey "Tom" Hanks (born July 9, 1956) is an American actor, producer, writer, and director. Hanks is known for his roles in Philadelphia and as the title character in Forrest Gump, roles which won him two consecutive Academy Awards for Best Actor. Hanks is also known for his Oscar nominated roles in Big, Saving Private Ryan and Cast Away.

Hanks' other acting roles include Apollo 13 as Jim Lovell, The Green Mile as Paul Edgecomb, Toy Story as Woody and Charlie Wilson's War as Charlie Wilson.

Early life[link]

Hanks was born in Concord, California. His father, Amos Mefford Hanks (born in Glenn County, California, on March 9, 1924 – died in Alameda, California, on January 31, 1992), was an itinerant cook.^[1] His mother, Janet Marylyn (née Frager; born in Alameda County, California, on January 18, 1932), was a hospital worker. Hanks' mother is of Portuguese ancestry, while two of his paternal great-grandparents immigrated from Britain.^[2][3] Hanks's parents divorced in 1960. The family's three oldest children, Sandra (now Sandra Hanks Benoiton, a writer)^{[citation needed]}, Larry (now Lawrence M. Hanks, PhD, an entomology professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign)^[4] and Tom, went with their father, while the youngest, Jim, now an actor and film maker, remained with his mother in Red Bluff, California.^{[citation needed]}

In addition to having a family history of Catholicism and Mormonism, Hanks was a "Bible-toting evangelical teenager" for several years.^[5] In school, Hanks was unpopular with students and teachers alike, later telling Rolling Stone magazine: "I was a geek, a spaz. I was horribly, painfully, terribly shy. At the same time, I was the guy who'd yell out funny captions during filmstrips. But I didn't get into trouble. I was always a real good kid and pretty responsible." In 1965, Amos Hanks married Frances Wong, a San Francisco native of Chinese descent. Frances had three children, two of whom lived with Tom during his high school years. Hanks acted in school plays, including South Pacific, while attending Skyline High School in Oakland, California.

Hanks studied theater at Chabot College in Hayward, California, and after two years, transferred to California State University, Sacramento. Hanks told New York magazine in 1986: "Acting classes looked like the best place for a guy who liked to make a lot of noise and be rather flamboyant ...I spent a lot of time going to plays. I wouldn't take dates with me. I'd just drive to a theater, buy myself a ticket, sit in the seat and read the program, and then get into the play completely. I spent a lot of time like that, seeing Brecht, Tennessee Williams, Ibsen, and all that."^[6]

During his years studying theater, Hanks met Vincent Dowling, head of the Great Lakes Theater Festival in Cleveland, Ohio.^[1] At Dowling's suggestion, Hanks became an intern at the Festival. His internship stretched into a three-year experience that covered most aspects of theater production, including lighting, set design, and stage management, all of which caused Hanks to drop out of college. During the same time, Hanks won the Cleveland Critics Circle Award for Best Actor for his 1978 performance as Proteus in Shakespeare's The Two Gentlemen of Verona, one of the few times he played a villain.^[7]

Career[link]

Early career[link]

In 1979, Hanks moved to New York City, where he made his film debut in the low-budget slasher film He Knows You're Alone (1980)^[1] and got a part in the television movie Mazes and Monsters. Early in 1979, Hanks was cast in the lead role of Callimaco in the Riverside Shakespeare Company's production of Niccolò Machiavelli's The Mandrake, directed by Daniel Southern. This remains Hanks's only New York stage performance to date; as a high profile Off Off Broadway showcase, the production helped Tom land an agent, Joe Ohla with the J. Michael Bloom Agency. The next year, Hanks landed a lead role on the ABC television pilot of Bosom Buddies, playing the role of Kip Wilson. Hanks moved to Los Angeles, where he and Peter Scolari played a pair of young advertising men forced to dress as women so they could live in an inexpensive all-female hotel.^[1] Hanks had previously partnered with Scolari in the 1970s game show Make Me Laugh. Bosom Buddies ran for two seasons, and, although the ratings were never strong, television critics gave the program high marks. "The first day I saw him on the set," co-producer Ian Praiser told Rolling Stone, "I thought, 'Too bad he won't be in television for long.' I knew he'd be a movie star in two years." But if Praiser knew it, he was not able to convince Hanks. "The television show had come out of nowhere," best friend Tom Lizzio told Rolling Stone. "Then out of nowhere it got canceled. He figured he'd be back to pulling ropes and hanging lights in a theater."

Bosom Buddies and a guest appearance on a 1982 episode of Happy Days ("A Case of Revenge," where he played a disgruntled former classmate of The Fonz) prompted director Ron Howard to contact Hanks. Howard was working on Splash (1984), a romantic comedy fantasy about a mermaid who falls in love with a human. At first, Howard considered Hanks for the role of the main character's wisecracking brother, a role that eventually went to John Candy. Instead, Hanks got the lead role and a career boost from Splash, which went on to become a box office hit, grossing more than US$69 million. He also had a sizable hit with the sex comedy Bachelor Party, also in 1984.

In 1983–84, Hanks made three guest appearances on Family Ties as Elyse Keaton's alcoholic brother, Ned Donnelly.^[8][9]

Period of successes and failures[link]

Hanks at Governor's Ball party after 61st Academy Awards, March 29, 1989

Hanks and Rita Wilson at the 1989 Oscars

With Nothing in Common (1986) – about a young man alienated from his parents who must re-establish a relationship with his father, played by Jackie Gleason – Hanks began to establish the credentials of not only a comic actor but of someone who could carry a serious role. "It changed my desires about working in movies," Hanks told Rolling Stone. "Part of it was the nature of the material, what we were trying to say. But besides that, it focused on people's relationships. The story was about a guy and his father, unlike, say, The Money Pit, where the story is really about a guy and his house."^{[citation needed]}

After a few more flops and a moderate success with Dragnet, Hanks succeeded with the film Big (1988), both at the box office and within the industry.^[1] The film established Hanks as a major Hollywood talent. It was followed later that year by Punchline, in which he and Sally Field co-starred as struggling comedians. Hanks's character, Steven Gold, a failing medical student trying to break into stand-up, was somewhat edgy and complex. Hanks' portrayal of Gold offered a glimpse of the far more dramatic roles Hanks would master in films to come. Hanks then suffered a pile of box-office failures: The 'Burbs (1989), Joe Versus the Volcano (1990), and The Bonfire of the Vanities (1990),^[1] as a greedy Wall Street type who gets enmeshed in a hit-and-run accident. Only the 1989 movie Turner & Hooch brought success for Hanks during this time. In a 1993 issue of Disney Adventures, Hanks said, "I saw Turner & Hooch the other day in the SAC store and couldn't help but be reminiscent. I cried like a baby." He did admit to making a couple of "bum tickers," however, and blamed his "...deductive reasoning and decision making skills."

Progression into dramatic roles[link]

Hanks climbed back to the top again with his portrayal of a washed-up baseball star turned manager in A League of Their Own (1992).^[1] Hanks has admitted that his acting in earlier roles was not great and that he has improved. In an interview with Vanity Fair, Hanks noted his "modern era of moviemaking ... because enough self-discovery has gone on.... My work has become less pretentiously fake and over the top". This "modern era" began in 1993 for Hanks, first with Sleepless in Seattle and then with Philadelphia. The former was a blockbuster success about a widower who finds true love over the airwaves. Richard Schickel of TIME called his performance "charming," and most critics agreed that Hanks' portrayal ensured him a place among the premier romantic-comedy stars of his generation.^{[citation needed]}

In Philadelphia, he played a gay lawyer with AIDS who sues his firm for discrimination.^[1] Hanks lost thirty-five pounds and thinned his hair in order to appear sickly for the role. In a review for People, Leah Rozen stated "Above all, credit for Philadelphia's success belongs to Hanks, who makes sure that he plays a character, not a saint. He is flat-out terrific, giving a deeply felt, carefully nuanced performance that deserves an Oscar." Hanks won the 1993 Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in Philadelphia.^[1] During his acceptance speech he revealed that his high school drama teacher Rawley Farnsworth and former classmate John Gilkerson, two people with whom he was close, were gay.^[10]

Hanks on the film set of Forrest Gump in 1994

Hanks followed Philadelphia with the 1994 summer hit Forrest Gump. Of the film, Hanks has remarked: "When I read the script for Gump, I saw it as one of those kind of grand, hopeful movies that the audience can go to and feel ... some hope for their lot and their position in life... I got that from the movies a hundred million times when I was a kid. I still do." Hanks won his second Best Actor Academy Award for his role in Forrest Gump, becoming only the second actor to have accomplished the feat of winning consecutive Best Actor Oscars. (Spencer Tracy was the first, winning in 1937–38. Hanks and Tracy were the same age at the time they received their Academy Awards: 37 for the first and 38 for the second.)

Hanks' next role—astronaut and commander Jim Lovell, in the 1995 movie Apollo 13--reunited him with Ron Howard.^[1] Critics generally applauded the film and the performances of the entire cast, which included actors Kevin Bacon, Bill Paxton, Gary Sinise, Ed Harris, and Kathleen Quinlan. The movie also earned nine Academy Award nominations, winning two. The same year, Hanks starred in the animated blockbuster Toy Story as the voice of the toy Sheriff Woody.

1996 – present: Directing, producing and acting[link]

Hanks turned to directing with his 1996 film That Thing You Do! about a 1960s pop group, also playing the role of a music producer. Hanks and producer Gary Goetzman went on to create Playtone, a record and film production company named for the record company in the film.

Hanks executive produced, co-wrote, and co-directed the HBO docudrama From the Earth to the Moon. The twelve-part series chronicles the space program from its inception, through the familiar flights of Neil Armstrong and Jim Lovell, to the personal feelings surrounding the reality of moon landings. The Emmy Award-winning project was, at US$68 million, one of the most expensive ventures taken for television.

Hanks's next project was no less expensive. For Saving Private Ryan he teamed up with Steven Spielberg to make a film about a search through war-torn France after D-Day to bring back a soldier. It earned the praise and respect of the film community, critics, and the general public. It was labeled one of the finest war films ever made and earned Spielberg his second Academy Award for direction, and Hanks another Best Actor nomination. Later in 1998, Hanks re-teamed with his Sleepless in Seattle co-star Meg Ryan for You've Got Mail, a remake of 1940's The Shop Around the Corner.

In 1999, Hanks starred in an adaptation of the Stephen King novel The Green Mile. He also returned as the voice of Woody in Toy Story 2. The following year he won a Golden Globe for Best Actor and an Academy Award nomination for his portrayal of a marooned FedEx systems analyst in Robert Zemeckis's Cast Away. In 2001, Hanks helped direct and produce the acclaimed HBO mini-series Band of Brothers. He also appeared in the September 11 television special America: A Tribute to Heroes and the documentary Rescued From the Closet.

Next he teamed up with American Beauty director Sam Mendes for the adaptation of Max Allan Collins's and Richard Piers Rayner's graphic novel Road to Perdition, in which he played an anti-hero role as a hitman on the run with his son. That same year, Hanks collaborated with director Spielberg again, starring opposite Leonardo DiCaprio in the hit crime comedy Catch Me if You Can, based on the true story of Frank Abagnale, Jr. The same year, Hanks and his wife Rita Wilson produced the hit movie My Big Fat Greek Wedding. In August 2007, he along with co-producers Rita Wilson and Gary Goetzman, and writer and star Nia Vardalos, initiated a legal action against the production company Gold Circle Films for their share of profits from the movie.^[11][12][13] At the age of 45, he became the youngest ever recipient of the American Film Institute's Life Achievement Award on June 12, 2002.

In 2004, he appeared in three films: The Coen Brothers' The Ladykillers, another Spielberg film, The Terminal, and The Polar Express, a family film from Robert Zemeckis. In a USA Weekend interview, Hanks talked about how he chooses projects: "[Since] A League of Their Own, it can't be just another movie for me. It has to get me going somehow.... There has to be some all-encompassing desire or feeling about wanting to do that particular movie. I'd like to assume that I'm willing to go down any avenue in order to do it right". In August 2005, Hanks was voted in as vice president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.^[14]

Hanks in 2008

Hanks next starred in the highly anticipated film The Da Vinci Code, based on the bestselling novel by Dan Brown. The film was released May 19, 2006 in the US and grossed over US$750 million worldwide. He followed the film with Ken Burns's 2007 documentary The War. For the documentary, Hanks did voice work, reading excerpts from World War II-era columns by Al McIntosh. In 2006, Hanks topped a 1,500-strong list of 'most trusted celebrities' compiled by Forbes magazine.^[15] Hanks next appeared in a cameo role as himself in The Simpsons Movie, in which he appeared in an advertisement claiming that the US government has lost its credibility and is hence buying some of his. He also made an appearance in the credits, expressing a desire to be left alone when he is out in public. Later in 2006, Hanks produced the British film Starter for Ten, a comedy based on working class students attempting to win University Challenge.^[16]

In 2007, Hanks starred in Mike Nichols's film Charlie Wilson's War (written by screenwriter Aaron Sorkin) in which he plays Democratic Texas Congressman Charles Wilson. The film opened on December 21, 2007, and Hanks received a Golden Globe nomination.

In 2008's The Great Buck Howard, Hanks played the on-screen father of a young man (Hanks' real-life son, Colin Hanks) who chooses to follow in the footsteps of a fading magician (John Malkovich). Tom Hanks's character was less than thrilled about his son's career decision.

Hanks's next endeavor, released on May 15, 2009, was a film adaptation of Angels & Demons, based on the novel of the same name by Dan Brown. Its April 11, 2007, announcement revealed that Hanks would reprise his role as Robert Langdon, and that he would reportedly receive the highest salary ever for an actor.^[17][18] The following day he made his 10th appearance on NBC's Saturday Night Live, impersonating himself for the Celebrity Jeopardy sketch.

Hanks in April 2009

Hanks is producer of the Spike Jonze film Where The Wild Things Are, based on the children's book by Maurice Sendak.^[19]

In 2010, Hanks reprised his role as Sheriff Woody in the third film in the Toy Story franchise, Toy Story 3, after he, Tim Allen, and John Ratzenberger were invited to a movie theater to see a complete story reel of the movie.^[20]

In 2011, he directed and starred opposite Julia Roberts in the title role in the romantic comedy Larry Crowne.^[21] The movie has received generally bad reviews with only 35% of the 175 Rotten Tomatoes reviews giving it high ratings.^[22] Also in 2011, he starred in the drama film Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close.

Hanks is slated to play Walt Disney in the film Saving Mr. Banks co-starring Emma Thompson and directed by John Lee Hancock. Hanks will be the first actor to portray Disney in film. The film is scheduled to be released in 2014.^[23] He has also been cast in a film based on the Maersk Alabama hijacking as Captain Richard Phillips. The film will be written by Billy Ray, and produced by the team behind The Social Network.^[24]

Hanks is ranked the highest all time box office star with over $3.639 billion total box office gross, an average of $107 million per film.^[25] He has been involved with seventeen films that grossed over $100 million at the worldwide box office, the highest grossing of which was 2010's Toy Story 3.^[26]

Personal life[link]

Hanks was married to American actress Samantha Lewes^[27] (née Susan Jane Dillingham) from 1978 to 1987. The couple had two children, son Colin Hanks (also an actor) and daughter Elizabeth Ann.^[28][29]

In 1988, Hanks married actress Rita Wilson. The two first met on the set of Hanks's television show Bosom Buddies but later developed a romantic interest while working on the film Volunteers. They have two sons: Chester, or "Chet" (who has a small part as a student in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and released a rap single in 2011),^[30] and Truman.

Hanks became a grandfather when his son Colin and daughter-in-law Samantha gave birth to granddaughter Olivia Jane Hanks on February 1, 2011.^[31]

Regarding his religious views, Hanks has said, "I must say that when I go to church – and I do go to church – I ponder the mystery. I meditate on the 'why?' of 'Why people are as they are' and 'Why bad things happen to good people,' and 'Why good things happen to bad people'... The mystery is what I think it is, almost, the grand unifying theory of mankind."^[5]

Politics[link]

Hanks has made donations to many Democratic politicians and has been open about his support for same-sex marriage, environmental causes and alternative fuels. Hanks made public his presidential candidate choice in the 2008 election when he uploaded a video to his MySpace account in which he announced his endorsement of Barack Obama.^[32]

A proponent of environmentalism, Hanks is an investor in electric vehicles and owns both a Toyota RAV4 EV and the first production AC Propulsion eBox. Hanks was a lessee of an EV1 before it was recalled, as chronicled in the documentary Who Killed the Electric Car?^[33][34] He is on the waiting list for an Aptera 2 Series.^[35]

Hanks was extremely outspoken about his opposition to Proposition 8, an amendment to the California constitution that defined marriage as a union only between a man and a woman. Hanks and others who were in opposition to the proposition raised over US$44 million in contrast to the supporters' $39 million,^[36] but Proposition 8 passed with 52% of the vote.^[37]

While premiering a TV series in January 2009, Hanks called supporters of Proposition 8 "un-American" and criticized the LDS (Mormon) church members, who were major proponents of the bill, for their views on marriage and their role in supporting the bill.^[38][39] About a week later, Hanks apologized for the remark, saying that nothing is more American than voting one's conscience.^[40]

Hanks narrated a video created by Obama for America, entitled The Road We've Traveled.^[41]

Other activities[link]

Hanks with Steven Spielberg (left) at the National World War II Memorial in March 2010

A supporter of NASA's manned space program, Hanks has said that he originally wanted to be an astronaut but "didn't have the math." Hanks is a member of the National Space Society, serving on the Board of Governors of the nonprofit educational space advocacy organization founded by Dr. Wernher Von Braun. He also produced the HBO miniseries From the Earth to the Moon about the Apollo program to send astronauts to the moon. In addition, Hanks co-wrote and co-produced Magnificent Desolation: Walking on the Moon 3D, an IMAX film about the moon landings. Hanks also provided the voice over for the premiere of the show Passport to the Universe at the Rose Center for Earth and Space in the Hayden Planetarium at the American Museum of Natural History in New York.

In 2006, the Space Foundation awarded Hanks the Douglas S. Morrow Public Outreach Award.^[42] The award is given annually to an individual or organization that has made significant contributions to public awareness of space programs.

In June 2006 Hanks was inducted as an honorary member of the United States Army Rangers Hall of Fame for his accurate portrayal of a Captain in the movie Saving Private Ryan; Hanks, who was unable to attend the induction ceremony, was the first actor to receive such an honor.^[43] In addition to his role in Saving Private Ryan, Hanks was cited for serving as the national spokesperson for the World War II Memorial Campaign, for being the honorary chairperson of the D-Day Museum Capital Campaign, and for his role in writing and helping to produce the Emmy Award-winning miniseries, Band of Brothers.^{[citation needed]}

Hanks is one of several celebrities who frequently participates in planned comedy bits on Conan O'Brien's talk shows, including Late Night, The Tonight Show, and Conan while a guest. On one visit, Hanks asked Conan to join his run for president on the "Bad Haircut Party" ticket, with confetti and balloons and a hand held sign with the slogan "You'd be stupid to vote for us". On another episode, O'Brien, noting that Hanks was missing Christmas on his promotional tour, brought the season to him, including a gift (the skeleton of Hooch), and a mass of snow burying them both. On yet another episode, Conan gave Hanks a painting he had commissioned reflecting two of his interests: Astronauts landing on the beach at Normandy. On March 10, 2008, Hanks was on hand at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame to induct sixties band The Dave Clark Five.^[44] Asteroid 12818 Tomhanks is named for him.^[45]

Filmography[link]

Other accolades[link]

References[link]

Further reading[link]

• Gardner, David, Tom Hanks: The Unauthorized Biography, London, England 1999
• Gardner, David, Tom Hanks: Enigma 2007
• Pfeiffer, Lee, The Films of Tom Hanks, Secaucus, New Jersey, 1996
• Salamon, Julie, The Devil's Candy: The Bonfire of the Vanities Goes to Hollywood, Boston, 1991
• Trakin, Roy, Tom Hanks: Journey to Stardom, 1987; rev. ed.1995
• Wallner, Rosemary, Tom Hanks: Academy Award-Winning Actor, Edina, Minnesota, 1994

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Tom Hanks

	Biography portal
	Film portal

• Tom Hanks at the Internet Movie Database
• Tom Hanks on Twitter
• Tom Hanks' Facebook Page
• Tom Hanks's channel on YouTube
• Tom Hanks at Yahoo! Movies
• Tom Hanks's thoughts on Earth Day 2006
• Interview from 1989 issue of Film Comment
• Tom Hanks's films of the 1980s

Tim Allen
Allen in 2012
Birth name	Timothy Alan Dick
Born	(1953-06-13) June 13, 1953 (age 59) Denver, Colorado, U.S.
Medium	Stand-up, film, television, books
Nationality	American
Genres	Observational comedy, improvisational comedy, physical comedy, character comedy
Subject(s)	Relationships, marriage, masculinity, gender differences, parenting, everyday life
Spouse	Laura Deibel (1984–2003; 1 child) Jane Hajduk (2006–present; 1 child)
Notable works and roles	Tim Taylor on Home Improvement Mike on Last Man Standing Jason Nesmith in Galaxy Quest Scott Calvin/Santa Claus in The Santa Clause film series Buzz Lightyear in Toy Story film series
Website	http://www.timallen.com

Tim Allen (born Timothy Alan Dick;^[1][2] June 13, 1953) is an American comedian, actor, voice-over artist, and entertainer, known for his role in the sitcom Home Improvement. He is also known for his starring roles in several popular films, including the Toy Story film series, The Santa Clause film series, and Galaxy Quest.^[3][4] Allen currently stars in the ABC sitcom Last Man Standing.

Early life[link]

Born in Denver, Colorado, Allen is the son of Martha Katherine (née Fox), a community-service worker, and Gerald M. Dick, a real estate agent.^[3][5][6] He is the third oldest of five brothers. His father died in a car accident, colliding with a drunk driver, when Allen was 11.^[3][7] Two years later, his mother married her high school sweetheart, a successful business executive,^[5] and moved with her six children to Birmingham, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit, to be with her new husband and his three children.^[8] Allen attended Ernest W. Seaholm High School in Birmingham, where he was in theater and music classes (resulting in his love of classical piano). He then attended Central Michigan University and transferred to Western Michigan University in 1974.^[9] At Western Michigan, Allen worked at the student radio station WIDR and received a bachelor of science degree in communications specializing in radio and television production in 1976 with a split minor in philosophy and design.^[10] In 1998, Western Michigan awarded Allen an honorary fine arts degree and the Distinguished Alumni Award.^[9]

Career[link]

Allen started his career as a comedian in 1975.^[3] On a dare from one of his friends, he participated in a comedy night at a comedy club in Detroit. While in Detroit he began to get recognition appearing in local television commercials and appearing on cable comedy shows such as Gary Thison's Some Semblance of Sanity. He later moved to Los Angeles and became a member of The Comedy Store there. He began to do stand-up appearances on late-night talk shows and specials on record and film.^[3] Allen rose to fame in acting with the television series Home Improvement (1991–1999) on ABC, playing Tim "The Tool-Man" Taylor.^[3] During one week in November 1994, he simultaneously starred in the highest grossing film (The Santa Clause), topped the New York Times best-seller list with his book Don't Stand Too Close to a Naked Man, and appeared in the top rated television series (Home Improvement).^[3] The following year, he provided the voice of Buzz Lightyear in the blockbuster Toy Story.^[3] Simultaneous with his time acting in Home Improvement, Allen formed a race team with Steve Saleen and race driver Bob Bondurant, called the Saleen/Allen "RRR" Speedlab. The team raced Saleen Mustangs in the SCCA World Challenge, with Allen and Saleen as the team's drivers.

In 1997 he starred in the family comedy Jungle 2 Jungle from Disney. The film was poorly received by critics. The next year marked the final year of Home Improvement, for which he was paid $1.25 million per episode. The next year he returned to voice Buzz Lightyear in Toy Story 2 which was a financial and critical hit. Also in 2000 he starred in the sci-fi parody Galaxy Quest alongside Sigourney Weaver, Alan Rickman and Sam Rockwell. The movie was a critical hit and connected with audiences as well. In 2003 he had a cameo as Seann William Scott's father in American Wedding.

In 2006, Zoom was released, featuring Allen as Jack Shepard. The same year, he also starred in The Santa Clause 3 and The Shaggy Dog.

Allen began narrating the "Pure Michigan" television and radio commercials for the "Travel Michigan" agency. These commercials can be seen and heard throughout the Midwest and began airing nationally in 2009.

In December 2009, Allen started a preview tour of Crazy on the Outside, a film that debuted in January 2010. Allen accompanied the film, helping promote it with a series of stand-up acts beforehand. During the performances he told audiences that he plans a 2010 comedy tour. Allen also directed the film, marking his film directorial debut.^[11]

Allen with Jay Leno at the 45th Emmy Awards.

Allen hosted the 8th Annual TV Land Awards on April 25, 2010.^[12]

As of September 2010, Tim Allen is the official voice of the Chevrolet Cruze, narrating commercials for the vehicle. Also in September 2010, Allen was named the voice of Campbell Soup's new "It's Amazing What Soup Can Do" campaign.^[13]

As of 2011, Allen currently stars in the ABC sitcom Last Man Standing. He plays the role of Mike Baxter, a dad who is fighting for his manhood in his house filled with women.^[14]

Personal life[link]

On October 2, 1978, Allen was arrested in the Kalamazoo/Battle Creek International Airport for possession of over 650 grams (1.4 lb) of cocaine. He subsequently pleaded guilty to drug trafficking charges, and provided the names of other dealers in exchange for a sentence of three to seven years rather than a possible life imprisonment. He was paroled on June 12, 1981, after serving 2 years and 4 months in a Federal Correctional Institution, Sandstone in Sandstone, Minnesota.^[15][16][17] Allen had the Federal Bureau of Prisons Register # 04276-040.^[18]

Allen was raised as an Episcopalian.^[5] He was married to Laura Diebel from April 7, 1984, until they legally separated in 1999. Their divorce was finalized in 2003.^[19] They have a daughter, Katherine, born in 1989. Allen married actress Jane Hajduk on October 7, 2006, in a small private ceremony in Grand Lake, Colorado. They had dated for five years.^[20]

In 1997, Allen was arrested for DUI in Birmingham, Michigan, and was recorded as having a .15 percent blood-alcohol content.^[21] He was sentenced to one year probation. He entered a rehabilitation clinic for alcohol abuse as part of his court obligation.^[22]

On January 5, 2009, it was announced that Allen and Hajduk were expecting their first child together.^[23][24] On March 28, 2009, Allen's second child, a baby girl named Elizabeth, was born.^[25]

Awards[link]

Allen was nominated for one Emmy^[26] and 5 Golden Globe Awards. He won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Television Series Musical or Comedy in 1995 for Home Improvement.^[27]

In 1999, Allen was named a Disney Legend for his work on the Toy Story and Santa Clause franchises.^[28]

In 1999 Allen won a TV Guide Award for Favorite Actor in a Comedy.^[29]

For contributions to the television industry, Tim Allen was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6898 Hollywood Blvd.^[30]

In 1996, he won the Hall of Fame award at the Kids Choice Awards.

The cast of Home Improvement was honored with a "Fan Favorite" award at the 2009 TV Land Awards.

Filmography[link]

Films[link]