Claim: Tom Hanks was honored by President Barack Obama.

Thomas Jeffrey Hanks -LRB- born July 9 , 1956 -RRB- is an American actor and filmmaker . He is known for his various comedic and dramatic film roles , including Splash -LRB- 1984 -RRB- , Big -LRB- 1988 -RRB- , Turner & Hooch -LRB- 1989 -RRB- , A League of Their Own -LRB- 1992 -RRB- , Sleepless in Seattle -LRB- 1993 -RRB- , Philadelphia -LRB- 1993 -RRB- , Forrest Gump -LRB- 1994 -RRB- , Apollo 13 -LRB- 1995 -RRB- , Saving Private Ryan -LRB- 1998 -RRB- , You 've Got Mail -LRB- 1998 -RRB- , The Green Mile -LRB- 1999 -RRB- , Cast Away -LRB- 2000 -RRB- , Road to Perdition -LRB- 2002 -RRB- , and The Da Vinci Code -LRB- 2006 -RRB- , as well as for his voice work in the animated films The Polar Express -LRB- 2004 -RRB- and the Toy Story series .   Hanks ' films have grossed more than $ 4.5 billion at U.S. and Canadian box offices and more than $ 9.0 billion worldwide , making him the third-highest-grossing actor in North America . Hanks has been nominated for numerous awards during his career . He won a Golden Globe Award and an Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in Philadelphia , as well as a Golden Globe , an Academy Award , a Screen Actors Guild Award , and a People 's Choice Award for Best Actor for his role in Forrest Gump . In 2004 , he received the Stanley Kubrick Britannia Award for Excellence in Film from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts -LRB- BAFTA -RRB- . In 2014 , he received a Kennedy Center Honor and , in 2016 , he received a Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama , as well as the French Legion of Honor .   Hanks is also known for his collaborations with film director Steven Spielberg on Saving Private Ryan , Catch Me If You Can -LRB- 2002 -RRB- , The Terminal -LRB- 2004 -RRB- , and Bridge of Spies -LRB- 2015 -RRB- , as well as the 2001 miniseries Band of Brothers , which launched Hanks as a successful director , producer , and screenwriter . In 2010 , Spielberg and Hanks were executive producers on the HBO miniseries The Pacific -LRB- a companion piece to Band of Brothers -RRB- .