<p>The guy has been in millions of movies. So I thought it'd be nice to pick his best character.</p>
<p>JIMMY DUGAN BY FAR.</p>
<p>Him as Jimmy Dugan was just pure awesome. This was the character he was most powerful, most aggressive, and most "fun" as. I totally loved it. Jimmy Dugan is truly Tom Hanks!</p>
<p>No other character was as awesome as Jimmy !</p>
<p>I thought Forrest Gump was cool. But, besides that, I'm not too familiar with much of Tom Hank's movies to truly pick his best character.</p>
<p>Forrest Gump is his greatest character. I like him in anything, really. When he's playing a regular guy, like in Castaway, a cancer patient, a kid in an adult body, a foreigner in an airport terminal. He's good in everything.</p>
<p>What about as Captain Miller</p>
<p>Joe vs the Volcano or Big</p>
<p>Also, there was another movie Tom Hanks starred in where he was a homosexual man living with HIV/AIDS who was suing his firm partners who had discriminated against him by firing him when they discovered he had AIDS. Some of his co-stars were Denzel Washington, his homophobic lawyer, and Antonio Mendes(sp?), his lover. I forgot the movie's name.</p>
<p>I love Tom Hank's voice as Woody in Toy Story and Toy Story 2. I agree with the other posters, he is one of my favorite actors.</p>
<p>re: post#6 the movie was Philadelphia</p>
<p>Thanks 09Mom. I knew the movie had Philadelphia in its name, but who knew that actually IS it's name.</p>
<p>Why is there even discussion about this topic? Most of you, so far, are wrong; Hanks was best as FORREST GUMP.</p>
<p>Why did I say cancer patient? I meant AIDS. His oscars were for Philadelphia and Forrest Gump, and he should have won for Castaway (Denzel Washington for Training Day? Meh.)</p>
<p>Forest Gump?</p>
<p>....i honestly thought this would be the last selection....</p>
<p>I guess it's because I am the aggressive, power hungry type person, which is what Jimmy Dugan was; '"controlling & dominant", that was his most "in your face" type of character.</p>
<p>Forest Gump was just so mellow, so soft, so gentle, which is why I thought whatever.</p>
<p>True he was wise, noble and worthy, but, I just LOVE the "powerful" Jimmy Dugan more baby!</p>
<p>:)</p>
<p>I thought he was good in I AM SAM, or was that not him? I forget. He was also phenomenal in Forrest Gump and Philadelphia. I didn't really like the idea of the movie Castaway so he doesn't get my vote =/</p>
<p>no.. i am sam was sean penn which he did a very good job on in my opinion</p>
<p>definitley saving private ryan and forrest gump</p>
<p>Saving Private Ryan was not a character movie, so saying that Captain Miller was Tom Hanks' best character is akin to an insult to his career. </p>
<p>I'd have to say his Castaway role was the best, by the mere fact that he had to play opposite a palm tree and a bloody volleyball. He's basically the whole show, and he made it so funny and heartbreaking.</p>
<p>I liked Philadelphia but it isn't any competition for Forrest Gump :)</p>
<p>Forrest Gump rules but castaway was great as well !</p>
<p>None of you guys saw Bachelor Party?! LOL Well, Big, Bachelor Party, Forest Gump and Saving Private Ryan were all great roles.</p>
<p>nbachris2788 makes a good points. Castaway featured Tom as almost the only character. It's one thing to act with a group of people, but it's an entirey different story when, for most of the movie, you're the only actor the audience sees. It takes a lot of improvisation and skill to captivate an audience for that long. The movie really showed Tom's acting ability.</p>
<p>The Money Pit?</p>
<p>But seriously, Big (his first Oscar nomination), Philadelphia, League of Their Own, Forrest Gump, etc. are all awesome performances. I also thought he was great (against type) in Ladykillers.</p>