Filmsane

Tom Hanks is a true American Treasure. A man of great talent, and great character. He’s dependable, likable and scandal free actor that’s both renewed and admired by audiences and colleagues alike.

He’s a true darling. And if you take a good look at his recent career, he’s slowly turning into Anthony Hopkins. A man and an actor known for portraying a real life characters. Hank’s count is 8 by now, with his 8th biopic arriving in theaters in 2019, and 5 of those are in the past 5 years. Amazing right? He’s played astronauts, captains, newspaper editors and now a beloved TV personality.Well, for 2019.

Yes, that’s right. Hanks is portraying the legendary Fred Rogers in the upcoming biopic You’re My Friend, and I can hardly wait for it. The first photo of Hanks in the red cardigan was already published and my heart melted. How wonderful. One of the most beloved actors in Hollywood playing one of the most beloved man in history.

Rogers was known as the creator, composer, producer, head writer, showrunner and host of the preschool television series Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood (1968–2001). The show featured  Rogers’s kind, neighborly, avuncular persona which nurtured his connection to the audience. And you just know that Hank’s going for another great performance, right?.

But while we wait for You’re My Friend to be released, let’s look back at Tom Hanks biopics and all of his real life characters that he portrayed on film. Starting from Apollo 13, and until now.

Apollo 13 (1995)

Directed by: Ron Howard
Real Life Character: Jim Lovell
A former NASA astronaut, Naval Aviator, and retired Navy captain. Lovell is known for being the commander of the ill-fated Apollo 13 mission, which suffered a critical failure en route to the Moon but was brought back safely to Earth through the efforts of the crew and mission control. In addition to being part of the Apollo 13 crew, Lovell was the command module pilot of Apollo 8, the first Apollo mission to enter lunar orbit.

Charlie Wilson’s War (2007)

Directed by: Mike Nichols
Real Life Character: Charlie Wilson
Wilson is best known for leading Congress into supporting Operation Cyclone, the largest-ever Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) covert operation which, under the Carter and Reagan administration, supplied military equipment including weapons such as obsolete FIM-43 Redeye MANPADS surface-to-air anti-aircraft missiles and paramilitary officers from their Special Activities Division to the Afghan Mujahideen during the Soviet–Afghan War.

Captain Phillips (2013)

Directed by: Paul Greengrass
Real Life Character: Richard Phillips
He’s an American merchant mariner and author who served as captain of the MV Maersk Alabama during its hijacking by Somali pirates in April 2009.
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Saving Mr. Banks (2013)

Directed by: John Lee Hancock
Real Life Character: Walt Disney
Walt Disney was an American entrepreneur, animator, voice actor and film producer. A pioneer of the American animation industry, he introduced several developments in the production of cartoons.

Bridge of Spies (2015)

Directed by: Steven Spileberg
Real Life Character: James B. Donovan
He was an American lawyer, United States Navy officer in the Office of Scientific Research and Development and the Office of Strategic Services, ultimately becoming general counsel of the OSS (the predecessor of the CIA), and international diplomatic negotiator.

Sully (2016)

Directed by: Clint Eastwood
Real Life Character: Chesley Sullenberger
Chesley Burnett “Sully” Sullenberger III is a retired American airline captain who, on January 15, 2009, landed US Airways Flight 1549 in the Hudson River off Manhattan after both engines were disabled by a bird strike; all 155 persons aboard survived.

The Post (2017)

Directed by: Steven Spileberg
Real Life Character: Ben Bradlee
Ben Bradlee was an American newspaperman. He was the executive editor of The Washington Post from 1968 to 1991.He became a national figure during the presidency of Richard Nixon, when he challenged the federal government over the right to publish the Pentagon Papers and oversaw the publication of Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein’s stories documenting the Watergate scandal.

You Are My Friend (2019)

Directed by: Marielle Heller
Real Life Character: Fred Rogers
Fred Rogers was an American television personality, musician, puppeteer, writer, producer, and Presbyterian minister and at the same time the host and co-creator of the Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood (1968–2001) children’s series.