Happy Birthday, Tom Hanks! Thomas Jeffrey Hanks was born on July 9, 1956, and turns 64. He was born in Concord, California. The actor's breakthrough role was in the 1988 film, Big. He went on to win consecutive Best Actor Oscars for Philadelphia and Forrest Gump. Hanks made his directing debut in 1996 for That Thing You Do! The actor has also starred in Apollo 13 and voiced Woody in the Toy Story films. He has received a Kennedy Center Honor and Presidential Medal of Freedom. Hanks is one of the highest-grossing actors in the U.S. Happy Birthday, Tom Hanks!