Tom Hanks had an incredible streak of performances between 1993-2002. No, really, it was something to see. Hanks was untouchable, he received four Oscar nominations and won twice. Can any current Hollywood actor really top what he did those years? "Philadelphia," "Forrest Gump," "Apollo 13," "Toy Story 1 & 2," "Saving Private Ryan," "The Green Mile," "Cast Away," Road To Perdition," and "Catch Me if You Can." It came to the point where people were just wondering when Hanks WOULDN'T be nominated for an Oscar nomination. Actually, he hasn't gotten a single nom since the aforementioned streak. Stunning if you ask me because he's still maintained a pretty high level of quality. He wasn't even rewarded for his stunning work in "Road to Perdition."
So Post-2002, Hanks continued on, maybe at a slower rate, but he nevertheless persisted, although the next 11 years or so we're a little tougher on him. He didn't really nab any incredible roles and starred in many duds ("Cloud Atlas," "The Ladykillers," "The Terminal," "The Da Vinci Code," "Angels and Demons," "Larry Crowne," "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close.") These are all duds, although I still maintain, and defend, that "The Ladykillers," was tremendous fun due to Hanks' looney, cartoonish and over-the-top performance. Oh, and "Charlie Wilson's War" is pure aces. Mike Nichols' last film as well.
What we are seeing lately, though, is a sort of comeback for Hanks, sure he struck out again this year with "The Circle, but, for the most part, it's been smooth sailing since 2013: "Sully," "Captain Phillips," and "Bridge of Spies." Let us not forget that he also has Steven Spielberg's upcoming "The Papers," about the Pentagon Papers, which many are saying will be a major Oscar contender.