Editing Tom Hanks (section)

=== 1980–1989: Early work, sitcom and comedy films ===
[[File:Kevin Kline & Tom Hanks (252967475) (cropped).jpg|thumb|upright|left|Hanks at the [[61st Academy Awards|Academy Awards]] after-party in March 1989]]
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)<ref name="tca" /><ref name="HKY">{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1980/09/26/archives/obstacle-to-marriage.html?rref=collection%2Fcollection%2Fmovie-guide |title=Obstacle to Marriage |work=[[The New York Times]] |access-date=March 16, 2020 |date=September 26, 1980 |first=Tom |last=Buckley}}</ref> and landed a starring role in the television movie ''[[Mazes and Monsters]]'' (1982).<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Kushner |first=David |title=Dungeon Master: The Life and Legacy of Gary Gygax |magazine=[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]] |url=http://archive.wired.com/gaming/virtualworlds/news/2008/03/ff_gygax?currentPage=all |access-date=October 16, 2008 |date=March 10, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141031210259/http://archive.wired.com/gaming/virtualworlds/news/2008/03/ff_gygax?currentPage=all |archive-date=October 31, 2014}}</ref> Early that year, he was cast as the lead, Callimaco, in the [[Riverside Shakespeare Company]]'s production of [[Niccolò Machiavelli]]'s ''[[The Mandrake]]'', directed by Daniel Southern.<ref>{{cite news|last=Healy |first=Patrick |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/24/theater/tom-hanks-in-lucky-guy-his-broadway-debut.html?pagewanted=all |title=Tom Hanks, Broadway's New Kid |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=February 20, 2013 |access-date=August 31, 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140912225417/http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/24/theater/tom-hanks-in-lucky-guy-his-broadway-debut.html?pagewanted=all |archive-date=September 12, 2014 }}</ref> The following year, Hanks landed one of the lead roles, that of character Kip Wilson, on the [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] television pilot of ''[[Bosom Buddies]]''. 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.<ref name="tca" /> Hanks had previously partnered with Scolari on the 1970s game show ''[[Make Me Laugh]]''. After landing the role, Hanks moved to Los Angeles. ''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."<ref name="IconicEW">{{cite magazine |last1=Yang |first1=Rachel |title=Tom Hanks' most iconic roles |url=https://ew.com/movies/best-tom-hanks/ |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |access-date=January 24, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220808142811/https://ew.com/movies/best-tom-hanks/ |archive-date=August 8, 2022 |date=July 26, 2022 |url-status=live}}</ref>

Hanks made a guest appearance on a 1982 episode of ''[[Happy Days]]'' ("A Case of Revenge", in which he played a disgruntled former classmate of [[Fonzie]]) where he met writers [[Lowell Ganz]] and [[Babaloo Mandel]] who were writing the film ''[[Splash (film)|Splash]]'' (1984), a romantic comedy fantasy about a [[mermaid]] who falls in love with a human, to be directed by former ''Happy Days'' star [[Ron Howard]]. Ganz and Mandel suggested Howard consider Hanks for the film.<ref>{{cite web|website=[[SmartLess]]|url=https://www.smartless.com/episodes/episode/21617d2a/tom-hanks|title=Tom Hanks|access-date=March 20, 2022}}</ref><ref name="splash">{{cite book |title=Sensing the Past: Hollywood Stars and Historical Visions |last=Cullen |first=Jim |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |page=152 |date=February 28, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=Tom and Colin Hanks |last=Isle |first=Mick |publisher=[[Rosen Publishing]] |pages=11, 39 |date=October 1, 2004}}</ref> 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 landed the lead role in ''Splash'', which went on to become a surprise box office hit, grossing more than US$69&nbsp;million.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/tom-hanks-from-big-to-brothers/ |title=From 'Big' To 'Brothers' |date=June 14, 2004 |publisher=[[CBS News]] |access-date=August 6, 2014}}</ref> He had a sizable hit with the sex comedy ''[[Bachelor Party (1984 film)|Bachelor Party]]'', also in 1984.<ref name="Tom Hanks biography" /> In 1983–84, Hanks made three guest appearances on ''[[Family Ties]]'' as Elyse Keaton's alcoholic brother Ned Donnelly.<ref>{{Cite magazine |title=Television listings |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Uek4AAAAIAAJ&q=Tom+Hanks+Family+Ties |magazine=[[TV Guide (magazine)|TV Guide]] |date=November 27, 2003 |access-date=January 20, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Riggs |first=Thomas |title=Contemporary Theatre, Film, and Television |publisher=[[Gale Research]] |year=2002 |page=117 |isbn=0-7876-5116-8}}</ref>

With ''[[Nothing in Common]]'' (1986)—a story of a young man alienated from his father ([[Jackie Gleason]])—Hanks began to extend himself from comedic roles to dramatic. In an interview with ''Rolling Stone'', Hanks commented on his experience: "It changed my desires about working in movies. 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."<ref>{{cite book|title = Encyclopedia of American Cinema|url = https://books.google.com/books?id=zlSRS80XIfQC&q=money+pit+Part+of+it+was+the+nature+of+the+material%2C+what+we+were+trying+to+say.+But+besides+that%2C+it+focused+on+people%27s+relationships.+The+story+was+about+a+guy+and+his+father%2C+unlike%2C+say%2C+The+Money+Pit%2C+where+the+story+is+really+about+a+guy+and+his+house&pg=PT1033|isbn = 9781605011455|author1 = Mobilereference|date = December 15, 2009| publisher=MobileReference }}{{Dead link|date=May 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> In 1987, he had signed an agreement with [[Walt Disney Studios (division)|The Walt Disney Studios]] where he had starred to a talent pool in an acting/producing pact.<ref>{{Cite news |date=July 15, 1987 |title=Hanks Joins Growing Disney Talent Pool Via Acting/Producing Pact |pages=5, 28 |work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]}}</ref> After a few more flops and a moderate success with the comedy ''[[Dragnet (1987 film)|Dragnet]]'' (1987), Hanks' stature in the film industry rose.

The broad success of the fantasy comedy ''[[Big (film)|Big]]'' (1988) established Hanks as a major Hollywood talent, both as a box office draw and within the industry as an actor.<ref name="Tom Hanks biography">{{cite web |url=http://www.biography.com/people/tom-hanks-9327661#big-break |title=Tom Hanks Biography |publisher=[[Biography.com]] ([[FYI (TV channel)|FYI]] / [[A&E Networks]]) |access-date=August 6, 2014}}</ref><ref name="tca" /><ref name="break">{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/3983091.stm |title=Hanks' big splash in Hollywood |work=BBC News |date=November 5, 2004 |access-date=March 16, 2020}}</ref> For his performance in the film, Hanks earned his first nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actor.<ref name="Bignom">{{cite web |url=http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1989 |title=The 61st Academy Awards (1989) Nominees and Winners |publisher=[[Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences]] |access-date=July 10, 2014}}</ref> ''Big'' was followed later that year by ''[[Punchline (film)|Punchline]]'', in which he and [[Sally Field]] co-starred as struggling comedians. Hanks then suffered a run of box-office underperformers: ''[[The 'Burbs]]'' (1989), ''[[Joe Versus the Volcano]]'' (1990) and ''[[The Bonfire of the Vanities (film)|The Bonfire of the Vanities]]'' (1990).<ref name="tca" /> In the last, he portrayed a greedy [[Wall Street]] figure who gets enmeshed in a hit-and-run accident. ''[[Turner & Hooch]]'' (1989) was Hanks' only financially successful film of the period.<!--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 "...&nbsp;deductive reasoning and decision making skills."{{citation needed|date=September 2014}}-->