Tom Hanks is one of the greatest actors of the past 50 years. With Academy Award-winning roles in movies like Philadelphia and Forrest Gump, Hanks has long been considered one of Hollywood’s most bankable leading men. He’s even done well in animated films like Toy Story.
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But something Hanks doesn’t often do is sing. For someone so charming and so heartfelt in his performances, Hanks hasn’t stepped in front of the musical microphone all too often. Here, though, we have three of those rare examples when he does.
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1. “When He Was Here With Me”
Hanks starred in the Disney live-action Pinocchio film, which was released in 2022. And for it, Hanks performed one of the songs, “When He Was Here With Me.” Singing as Geppetto, the inventor-father of the wooden puppet-turned-boy Pinocchio, Hanks offers a gruff singing voice to this dreamy song of discovery. Hanks also sings the song, “Pinocchio, Pinocchio,” for the soundtrack, too. That song, which offers even a bit more melody, is all about how he will take care of his new charge.
2. “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?”
“Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” is a song that Hanks had to sing as soon as he took on the role of Mr. Rogers in the 2019 film, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood. It’s the song most synonymous with the person that the movie is all about, Fred Rogers. It’s the song Rogers sang to open his popular children’s show, Mr. Rogers Neighborhood, every day. And here, Hanks sings it with joy and a smile in his heart. The soundtrack for the movie also garnered a Grammy nomination for Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media.
3. “The Polar Express”
This is a family favorite around the holidays and that’s largely thanks to Hanks’ role in this 2004 animated offering. The soundtrack for the film included the song, “Believe,” which was nominated for an Academy Award. On this titular track, Hanks offers his signature energy, singing about the wintry train that runs throughout the film. Hanks also sang the song, “Hot Chocolate” for the film, which sounds like a 1930s jazz number.
(Photo by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic)
