Can You Name These Tom Hanks Roles From a Screenshot?

By: Jonnathan Chadwick
Estimated Completion Time
4 min
Can You Name These Tom Hanks Roles From a Screenshot?
Image: Gracie Films

About This Quiz

Tom Hanks has been acting in Hollywood since 1980, and he's now approaching 100 acting credits to his name. If you watch movies, you've probably seen a Tom Hanks movie or two, and if you're a fan of cinema, you're probably a fan of Hanks. 

He's not your average actor — he's one of the best. Some of the most memorable characters, quotes and movies all came to life because of his work. He's known for his genius portrayal of fictional characters like Forrest Gump and real people like Captain Phillips. He's known for making fictional characters feel like real people, like his roles in "Cast Away" or "You've Got Mail." His talent transcends animation, comedy, war and romance. He has the most recognizable voice in Hollywood since Jimmy Stewart, and he's nowhere close to done.

We'll never forget him telling us that life is like a box of chocolates or watching his soul shatter when Wilson floated away. He's in the utmost A list of A lists, and he's one of just a handful of actors universally recognized as the best in the game. 

How many Tom Hanks movies have you seen, and can you identify each one from a screenshot? Put your cinema knowledge to the test and try to name each of these Tom Hanks roles from an image.

Toy Story
Walt Disney Pictures / Pixar Animation Studios
Do you know this "Toy Story" cowboy?
Chucky
Frankie
Buzz Lightyear
Sheriff Woody
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Pixar released "Toy Story," its first animated feature film, in 1995, and it revolutionized CGI. The gang of Woody, Buzz, Mr. Potato Head, Slinky Dog, and even Andy and his neighbor Sid were all brought to life via CGI, the first time for a major film. Tom Hanks has voiced Woody in all of the films.

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Cast Away FedEx employee
20th Century Fox/DreamWorks Pictures/ImageMovers/Playtone
What role does Tom Hanks play in "Cast Away"?
World explorer
Police detective
FedEx employee
Army soldier
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Tom Hanks portrayed an imaginary FedEx employee who gets stranded on a deserted island and befriends a volleyball in the 2000 hit "Cast Away." His character's name is Chuck Noland. FedEx ultimately supported the film, although hesitant at first.

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Forrest Gump
Wendy Finerman Productions
Who taught the world that life is like a box of chocolates?
Charlie Wilson
Larry Crowne
Forrest Gump
Captain Phillips
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Forrest Gump's mother taught her son the "box of chocolates" mantra, and he taught it to the world in one of America's most famous movie lines. Tom Hanks won the Best Actor Oscar for the role, his second in a row.

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Scott Turner
Touchstone Pictures/Silver Screen Partners IV
Can you name this detective who adopts a dog named Hooch?
Joe Fox
Sheriff Woody
Scott Turner
Carl Hanratty
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Detective Scott Turner has to solve a murder case that only has one witness, a dog. He adopts the dog to save its life and develops a lifelong bond with the Dogue de Bordeaux. Four dogs played the role of Hooch.

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Captain Phillips
Scott Rudin Productions / Michael De Luca Productions / Trigger Street Productions
What American sailor was hijacked by pirates in this movie based on a true story?
Jimmy Dugan
Captain Phillips
Sam Baldwin
Sully
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

This is another true story where Tom Hanks portrayed a real-life hero. Sailor Richard Phillips was navigating an American cargo ship around one of the most dangerous areas in the world when pirates boarded the boat and held everyone for ransom.

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Jimmy Dugan
Parkway Productions
Who's this guy who said, "there's no crying in baseball"?
Jimmy Dugan
Allen Bauer
Michael Sullivan
Josh Baskin
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

"A League of Their Own" is Tom Hanks at his most versatile — it's a pretty underrated role. He played the hard drinking baseball manager Jimmy Dugan in this comedy about women who take over baseball during WWII.

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Philadelphia
Clinica Estetico
He won his first of back-to-back Oscars for this role. Do you know it?
Forrest Gump
Andrew Beckett
David Jones
Chuck Noland
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Tom Hanks with a shaved head means only one thing: Andrew Becket in "Philadelphia." He starred alongside Denzel Washington in this film that was one of the earliest to tackle issues of sex, relationships and HIV.

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Sully
Village Roadshow Pictures / Flashlight Films / The Kennedy/Marshall Company / Malpaso Productions / Orange Corp
Can you name this pilot known for the "Miracle on the Hudson"?
"Sully" Sullenberger
Jim Lovell
Captain Phillips
Larry Crowne
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Tom Hanks teamed up with Clint Eastwood to tell the true story of Captain Chesley Sullenberger and his harrowing "Miracle on the Hudson" in 2009. Captain Sully was able to land a failed aircraft in the Hudson River, preventing disaster and achieving hero status.

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Big
Gracie Films
What is this kid's name, who wakes up one day in the body of an adult?
Josh
Mark
Tony
Ben
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Be careful what you wish for. We've seen this trope play out in numerous stories before, but when a kid wishes to be an adult and wakes up in the body of Tom Hanks, it turns into a classic tale. Tom Hanks got his first Oscar nod for his role in "Big."

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The Polar Express
Castle Rock Entertainment / Shangri-La Entertainment / ImageMovers / Playtone / Golden Mean Productions
In what film does Tom Hanks play five different characters, including Santa Claus?
"The Polar Express"
"Saving Private Ryan"
"Cloud Atlas"
"Road to Perdition"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

This classic children's story graced classrooms all over the country for close to 20 years before getting a big screen adaptation. Tom Hanks is the biggest name voicing characters in the movie, and he takes on the task of voicing five of them for the film.

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Road to Perdition
DreamWorks Pictures / 20th Century Fox / The Zanuck Company
In what film does Tom Hanks play a mob associate, tasked with protecting his family?
"The Polar Express"
"Inferno"
"Splash"
"Road to Perdition"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Tom Hanks stars as Michael Sullivan Sr. in this story about a family involved with the Irish mob. "Road to Perdition" also features Paul Newman and Daniel Craig, and it received positive reviews all around, including an Oscar win for Best Cinematography.

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Splash
Touchstone Films
Can you name this film where Tom Hanks falls in love with a mermaid?
"A Hologram for the King"
"Splash"
"The Great Buck Howard"
"Joe Versus the Volcano"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

This film might not sound like the greatest plot, but it nabbed an Oscar nod for best original screenplay at the 1985 Academy Awards. Daryl Hannah played the mermaid and John Candy also starred in the film.

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The 'Burbs
Imagine Entertainment
Can you name this paranoid husband who thinks his neighbors are satanists?
Sam Baldwin
Ray Peterson
Jimmy Dugan
Scott Turner
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

When you look back at Tom Hanks' earliest movie roles, they were mostly comedies, like this one called "The 'Burbs" that came out in 1989. It's the classic story about a young couple who moves to the perfect neighborhood, only to find out it's the opposite of perfect.

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Bridge of Spies
DreamWorks Pictures / Fox 2000 Pictures / Reliance Entertainment / Participant Media / TSG Entertainment / Afterworks Limited / Studio Babelsberg / Amblin Entertainment / Marc Platt Productions
What lawyer turned CIA spy does Tom Hanks play in this Steven Spielberg flick?
Sheriff Woody
James B. Donovan
Joe Fox
Scott Turner
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

You've got to hate it when the CIA comes knocking on your door and forces you to spy for them. That's the role Tom Hanks played in "Bridge of Spies," directed by Steven Spielberg and written by the Coen brothers. The story takes place during the Cold War.

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Nothing in Common 1986
Delphi Films, Rastar Productions, TriStar Pictures
He plays an ad exec who is nothing like his father in what movie?
Bachelor Party
Nothing in Common
Splash
Road to Perdition
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Comedy legend Jackie Gleason made his final film appearance in the 1986 movie "Nothing in Common," starring alongside Tom Hanks as his father. As expected, the two have nothing in common and end up learning a lot from each other.

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You've Got Mail
Warner Bros.
Do you know his character's name in "You've Got Mail"?
Scott Turner
Joe Fox
Allen Bauer
Forrest Gump
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The verge of the millennium was the perfect time to tackle the proliferation of internet dating. In "You've Got Mail," two people fall in love online but despise each other in real life. This timely movie is titled after an AOL notification.

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Sam Baldwin
TriStar Pictures
Tom Hanks played what character that moves to Seattle and falls in love?
Joe Fox
Rick Gassko
Allen Bauer
Sam Baldwin
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Tom Hanks really started dominating the Hollywood scene in the early 1990s, and he teamed up with Meg Ryan in 1993 for this romantic comedy, "Sleepless in Seattle." He starred in "A League of Their Own" the year before, and he was about to star in the two biggest roles of his career, "Philadelphia" and "Forrest Gump."

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Paul Edgecomb
Castle Rock Entertainment
He played the prison officer in charge of death row (a.k.a. the green mile) in this film. Can you remember his name?
Paul Edgecomb
Mark Storey
Captain Phillips
Carl Hanratty
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

This Stephen King masterpiece is told through a flashback from the point of view of Tom Hanks' character in the film, Paul Edgecomb, who is the head guard in charge of death row. It's a classic Stephen King story that was adapted into a memorable movie.

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Joe Fox
Warner Bros.
Can you name this character who considers jumping into a volcano?
Alex
Joe
Ben
Mark
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

When Tom Hanks' character, Joe, learns that he is dying in the movie "Joe Versus the Volcano," he is offered a way to die with purpose and dignity: by jumping into a volcano. It was one of many times he starred alongside Meg Ryan.

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Saving Private Ryan (Captain John H. Miller)
Paramount Pictures
He's tasked with saving Private Ryan in this film. What's his name?
Captain Miller
Sully
Carl Hanratty
Captain Phillips
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

This is one of the best war movies ever made, and Hanks and Spielberg were both at the top of their games. Hanks' character in the film is the captain tasked with saving Private Ryan, played by Matt Damon.

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Angels & Demons 2009
Columbia Pictures
What professor and master of cryptography is this?
Andrew Beckett
Sheriff Woody
Robert Langdon
Allen Bauer
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Tom Hanks plays Professor Robert Langdon in the movie adaptation of Dan Brown's novels. Three of Brown's books that feature the professor have already been adapted to the screen, most famously "The Da Vinci Code."

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The Circle
Image Nation Abu Dhabi / Playtone
Tom Hanks played the founder of a fictional company that is a combination of Facebook and Google in what film?
"Volunteers"
"The Circle"
"Punchline"
"Dragnet"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

This story is another one from David Eggers, and it tackles a dystopian future where giant tech companies control everything we do. It's grim, but not as grim as the book. Emma Watson stars as the lead character, Mae Holland.

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Carl Hanratty
Amblin Entertainment Parkes / MacDonald Productions
What was the name of the detective who chased Leonardo DiCaprio around the world in "Catch Me If You Can"?
Henry Goose
Scott Turner
Joe Fox
Carl Hanratty
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

"Catch Me If You Can" is the true story about Frank Abagnale Jr., who was played by Leonardo DiCaprio. Abagnale was known for being a con man and check forger, but he did pass the bar exam on his own. Hanks played Carl Hanratty, the detective who chased him around the world.

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Commander Jim Lovell (Apollo 13)
Imagine Entertainment
Do you know what astronaut he portrayed in "Apollo 13"?
Jim Lovell
Fred Haise
Neil Armstrong
Buzz Aldrin
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Who can forget Tom Hanks as Jim Lovell, doing 15-digit math problems in his head and double checking them with pen and paper while hurtling through the universe in a doomed spaceship? Ron Howard directed the 1995 flick that went on to win two Oscars.

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The Terminal
Amblin Entertainment / Parkes/MacDonald Productions
Can you remember the name of this character who lived at JFK Airport for several months?
Sully
Charlie Wilson
Viktor Navorski
Captain Phillips
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Tom Hanks played the fictional Viktor Navorski from the fake country of Krakozhia in "The Terminal." The story was inspired by the real-life 18-year stay of an Iranian refugee at France's Charles de Gaulle Airport from 1988 to 2006.

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Charlie Wilson's War
Relativity Media / Participant Productions / Playtone
Do you know this Texas congressman?
Ray Peterson
Thomas Schell
Dermot Hoggins
Charlie Wilson
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

"Charlie Wilson's War" tells the story of the time the United States of America decided to fund this small rebel group in the Middle East as they fought Russia. The small group of rebels eventually turned into a terrorist group led by the world's most notorious terrorist.

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Professor G.H. Dorr
Touchstone Pictures / Tom Jacobson Productions
Have you ever seen "The Ladykillers"? What role did he play?
David Basner
Kip Wilson
Dermot Hoggins
Professor G.H. Dorr
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Hanks plays a Southern professor, Goldthwait Higginson Dorr, who puts together a ragtag crew to rob a casino, and the only person who might stop them is a sweet old landlady. If it sounds like a Coen brothers film, that's because they wrote and directed it.

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Lawrence Bourne III
HBO Pictures/Silver Screen Partners
What's the name of this rich kid who joins the Peace Corps to escape angry debtors?
Joe Fox
Lawrence Bourne III
Michael Sullivan
Rick Gassko
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Tom Hanks played the wealthy Lawrence Bourne III in the 1985 comedy "Volunteers," about a rich kid who grows a heart and experiences how the other half lives. Hanks starred alongside John Candy in this film, the second time the two joined forces.

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Saving Mr Banks
Walt Disney Pictures / Ruby Films / Essential Media and Entertainment / BBC Films / Hopscotch Features
Who does Tom Hanks portray in "Saving Mr. Banks"?
Robert Langdon
Mr. Banks
Walt Disney
Ray Kroc
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Australian author P.L. Travers began her "Mary Poppins" book series in 1934, and in 1964 Walt Disney wanted to adapt the story for the big screen. This movie tells that story, and Walt Disney is played by Tom Hanks.

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Cloud Atlas
Cloud Atlas Production / X-Filme Creative Pool / Anarchos Productions
He travels through time and plays six different roles in this genre-bending mystery. Can you name the movie?
"The Polar Express"
"Road to Perdition"
"Angels & Demons"
"Cloud Atlas"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Hanks has played roles in two adapted novels from David Eggers, and he also starred in the lead role in this David Mitchell story, so he's clearly a fan of contemporary literature and does a great job portraying these characters.

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A Hologram for the King
Playtone / Primeridian Entertainment / X-Filme Creative Pool / Fábrica de Cine
What is his name in "A Hologram for the King"?
Alan Clay
Eamon Bailey
Dwayne Twitchell
Sherman McCoy
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

This Eggers novel was shortlisted for awards around the world and was adapted for the screen in 2016 when Tom Hanks took over the lead role. It was the first time Hanks would star in an Eggers adaptation, but not the first time he'd adapt a contemporary American novel.

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That Thing You Do
Clavius Base
What was his character's name in "That Thing You Do"?
Josh
Mr. Black
Joe
Mr. White
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Tom Hanks wrote, directed and starred in this film that centers around a local band in Pennsylvania. It was the first movie credit for his son, Colin, who has since gone on to star in dozens of TV shows and movies.

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Larry Crowne
Vendôme Pictures / Playtone
Who is this guy who decided to go back to school after losing his job?
Larry Crowne
Robbie Wheeling
Kip Wilson
Jimmy Dugan
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

It's never too old to go back to school — "Larry Crowne" taught us that in 2011. It obviously helps if you go back to school and happen to fall into a relationship with Julia Roberts, but this is a movie after all, and it's not based on a true story.

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Bachelor Party
20th Century Fox / 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
What's his character's name in "Bachelor Party"?
Rick Gassko
Streebeck
Ray Peterson
Thomas Schell
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Tom Hanks plays a groom-to-be who hasn't had the most successful life and is hated by his in-laws. His friends decide to do what all good friends do: throw him an epic bachelor party. To no one's surprise, everything goes haywire.

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The Money Pit
Amblin Entertainment
What was his character's name in "The Money Pit"?
Michael Sullivan
Isaac Sachs
Chuck Noland
Walter Fielding
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Most newlywed couples dream of buying a house in the perfect neighborhood one day, and when the Fieldings find an offer they simply can't refuse, they pounce on it. As expected, the offer turns out too good to be true, and they spend a fortune on renovations.

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Ben Bradlee
Amblin Partners/Amblin Entertainment/DreamWorks Pictures/20th Century Fox/Pascal Pictures/Star Thrower Entertainment/Participant Media
Do you know this legendary newspaper editor?
Scott Turner
Ben Bradlee
Rick Gassko
Professor G.H. Dorr
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The best movie about Ben Bradlee and the "Washington Post" will always be the 1976 classic "All the President's Men," but Hanks does a pretty good job starring alongside Meryl Streep in "The Post," about the Pentagon Papers. The role earned him a Best Actor nod at the Golden Globes.

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He Knows You're Alone
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Tom Hanks played a man named Elliot in his first ever movie. Do you know what it was called?
He Knows You're Alone
Splash
Dragnet
Punchline
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Everybody has to start somewhere, right? Back in 1980, Tom Hanks played the role of Elliot in this low budget horror thriller that didn't exactly go on to achieve greatness. Hanks focused on TV roles for the next four years after this movie.

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Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close 2011
Warner Bros.
Do you know what role Hanks played in the 9/11 drama?
Thomas Schell
Dermot Hoggins
Sherman McCoy
David Basner
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

"Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close" was one of the first major films to tackle the 9/11 attacks and was ultimately nominated for two Oscars, including Best Picture. The film follows a boy who copes with the loss of his father after the attacks. Hanks played the father.

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Dragnet 1987
Applied Action / Permut Presentations / Universal Pictures
Do you remember what character he played in "Dragnet"?
Streebek
Friday
Hanratty
Turner
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Hanks stars alongside Dan Aykroyd in this 1987 film about a strait-laced detective (Aykroyd) who has to work with a man who looks like he crawled out of the gutter (Hanks) to solve a crime mystery. The film is part of the "Dragnet" franchise that includes the TV show.

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The Great Buck Howard 2008
Bristol Bay Productions, Playtone, Great Buck Productions
Tom Hanks played his real-life son's father in "The Great Buck Howard." What's his name?
Mr. Gable
Buck Howard
Dermot Hoggins
Allen Bauer
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Colin Hanks plays Troy Gable and Tom Hanks plays Mr. Gable in this film about a declining magician and his personal assistant. The first movie Colin Hanks appeared in with his father was "That Thing You Do" in 1996.

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Gracie Films