Tom Hanks Says Only 4 of His 80+ Movies Are “Pretty Good”
Tom Hanks has had a legendary career, starring in more than 80 films, many of which are beloved by audiences worldwide.
Yet the Oscar-winning actor recently shared a surprisingly modest view of his own work. In an interview with PEOPLE published Tuesday, Hanks said he considers only four of his movies to be “pretty good.”
“No one knows how a movie is made — though everyone thinks they do,” Hanks said. “I’ve made a ton of movies (and four of them are pretty good, I think) and I’m still amazed at how films come together.”
He described filmmaking as a process full of contrasts. “From a flicker of an idea to the flickering image onscreen, the whole process is a miracle,” Hanks explained.
“It is very hard work over a very long period of time that consists of so many moments of joy slapped up against an equal number of feelings of self-loathing. It is the greatest job in the world and the most confounding of labors that I know of.”
Hanks’ knowledge of the industry also inspired his first novel, The Making of Another Major Motion Picture Masterpiece, released May 9, 2023, through Penguin Random House.
The story follows a troubled World War II veteran and his comic book artist nephew, whose illustrated story about the veteran is adapted into a modern superhero movie. Hanks said, “Every character in the book does something I’ve experienced while making a movie, as well as discovered a philosophy or learned an important lesson. Even the foolish moments are some kind of stunt I’ve pulled or mistake I’ve survived.”
On a previous episode of The Bill Simmons Podcast, Hanks listed some of the films he values most, not including his Oscar-winning Forrest Gump. Among his favorites were Cloud Atlas, A League of Their Own, and Cast Away.
Hanks explained that these choices were based on his personal experiences while making the films. About Cloud Atlas, he said, “It was the first time I’d ever shot extensively in Germany and I was surrounded by history. But the work itself, we were part of this big, massive ensemble of fantastic people who were just trying to do the hardest, best work on a deep throw.”
Hanks’ long filmography also includes hits like Splash, The Green Mile, Big, Catch Me If You Can, Sleepless in Seattle, Saving Private Ryan, and the Toy Story franchise. More recently, he appeared in Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis and Robert Zemeckis’ live-action Pinocchio.
Tom Hanks’ honesty about his own films is refreshing. Even a Hollywood icon knows that filmmaking is unpredictable, and not every project hits the mark. What do you think—are there any Hanks movies you’d consider “pretty good” or even great? Share your thoughts in the comments.
