Tom Hanks is one of the most versatile actors of this generation, and while he’s known for dramatic roles, he’s a pro at comedy as well.
Tom Hanks is known as one of the best actors of this generation. In the business for 40+ years, he has starred in some of the biggest films of the last several decades. While he is known for his dramatic portrayals in movies like Forrest Gump, Saving Private Ryan, The Green Mile, and Cast Away, Hanks has a comedic side to him, too. His character David S. Pumpkins on Saturday Night Live, for example, is evidence of that. Hanks has also been in some of the most iconic rom-coms of all time.
To put it lightly, Hanks is one of the most versatile actors around. When it comes to comedy, he always delights. For those looking for something with a light-hearted tone, a few of his movies in particular rank as his funniest performances.
10 ‘Turner & Hooch’ (1989)
Directed by Roger Spottiswoode
While Turner & Hooch is a buddy cop comedy, it stands out within the genre for one specific reason: one of the buddies is actually a dog. Hanks is Detective Scott Turner who is forced to take custody of his friend’s dog when the man is sadly killed. While Turner tries to give the dog away and move on, he slowly begins to warm to his new furry friend, realizing that Hooch may be able to help him grieve. Turner soon discovers that Hooch can be helpful on the job, too. So begins a beautiful friendship and partnership between man and dog.
For pet and buddy cop genre lovers, Turner & Hooch combines both into one hilarious comedy. Most notable are the scenes when Hooch gets up to trouble, like ransacking Turner’s home. But the movie overall is as endearing as it is funny.
Turner and Hooch
- Release Date
- July 28, 1989
- Director
- Roger Spottiswoode
- Cast
- Tom Hanks , Mare Winningham , Craig T. Nelson , Reginald VelJohnson , Scott Paulin , J.C. Quinn
- Runtime
- 97
9 ‘Sleepless in Seattle’ (1993)
Directed by Nora Ephron
Heavy on the romance, Sleepless in Seattle is also quite funny, one of the few rom-coms that will never get old. The movie follows Sam Baldwin (Hanks), a widow who is having a tough time getting over the death of his wife. Wanting the best for his dad, Sam’s son Jonah (Ross Malinger) calls a local talk radio station and begs listeners to find a new partner for his pop. Naturally, women are drawn to the story and the knowledge of a wonderful single man out there looking for love. But none more so than Annie Reed (Meg Ryan), a reporter who is engaged to another man but feels like she might be making a mistake.
The story of love is the main one in the movie, but there are also funny parts, including Jonah’s clear disdain for a co-worker Victoria (Barbara Garrick) that Sam starts dating, and Annie’s back and forth with herself about pursuing things with this man she doesn’t even know. Sleepless in Seattle is sweet to the core, with moments that makes viewers laugh as well.
Sleepless in Seattle
- Release Date
- June 24, 1993
- Director
- Nora Ephron
- Cast
- Tom Hanks , Ross Malinger , Rita Wilson , Victor Garber , Tom Riis Farrell , Carey Lowell
- Runtime
- 105 minutes
8 ‘A League of Their Own’ (1992)
Directed by Penny Marshall
Featuring one of the most known movie lines, “there’s no crying in baseball,” Hanks is perfect in A League of Their Own as Jimmy Dugan, a cynical, alcoholic former pro baseball star who is hired to manage an all-female baseball team. Set in the ‘40s, A League of Their Own is about the formation of the women’s league, notably the eclectic mix of women who are recruited to be part of it, and their pursuit of a big win.
Hanks provides comic relief in the sports movie, a man brought in who can’t believe what he’s seeing and thinks the idea of a women’s team is a complete joke. His abrasive attitude (hence the quote) leads to literal tears and anger, but the women pull through, arguably not because of Dugan, but despite him. Hanks might take a backseat to the female cast in this movie, but he’s a scene stealer.
A League of Their Own
- Release Date
- July 1, 1992
- Director
- Penny Marshall
- Cast
- Tom Hanks , Geena Davis , Madonna , Lori Petty , jon lovitz , David Strathairn
- Runtime
- 128 minutes
7 ‘Splash’ (1984)
Directed by Ron Howard
A unique concept, Splash is a romantic fantasy comedy about Allen (Hanks), a man who unknowingly falls for a mermaid (Daryl Hannah) when she winds up on land and tries to acclimate to life above water. She adopts the name Madison after seeing the sign for Madison Avenue, learns to speak English, and tries to make the most of her time before she needs to return to the seas once there’s a full moon. But all the while, many believe she’s just a woman from a foreign country who doesn’t understand American customs, making for some hilarious moments.
An unconventional love story, Splash’s most hilarious moments relate to the literal fish-out-of-water story. Hanks is great as a man who deals with both becoming enamored with an exotic woman and then gutted when he realizes the truth about her, assuming this means they can never truly be together. Hannah is responsible for the funniest moments in the movie, but Hanks is the perfect co-pilot to drive the story along. Plus, with a supporting cast that includes comedy icons like Eugene Levy and the late John Candy, Splash is a hoot.
Splash
- Release Date
- March 9, 1984
- Director
- Ron Howard
- Cast
- Channing Tatum , Jillian Bell
- Main Genre
- Comedy
- Runtime
- 111
6 ‘Toy Story 2’ (1999)
Directed by John Lasseter
One of Hanks’ biggest franchises, if not the biggest franchise, he voices the main role in Toy Story 2, but it’s a memorable one known by kids around the world. He is Woody, a cowboy doll who can come to life alongside other kids’ toys. He’s the leader of his group, a classic toy that has been around the block. In the story for this movie, the second in the franchise and one of the best Toy Story movies, Woody is kidnapped by greedy store owner Al McWhiggin who wants to sell him to a museum. When Woody meets a new set of toys in Al’s home, it’s time to spring into action and try and escape.
Woody and Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen) are a dream team of toys and the silly story that makes kids giggle and entertains parents never gets old. This movie offered a fresh, new storyline with plenty more laughs as the pair get up to their antics, meet new toy friends, and remain together “to infinity and beyond.”
Toy Story 2
- Release Date
- November 24, 1999
- Director
- John Lasseter , Ash Brannon , Lee Unkrich
- Cast
- Tom Hanks , Tim Allen , Joan Cusack , Kelsey Grammer , Don Rickles , Jim Varney
- Runtime
- 92 minutes
5 ‘That Thing You Do!’ (1996)
Directed by Tom Hanks
Hanks not only stars in That Thing You Do!, he also wrote and directed it. Taking a musical spin on the comedy genre, the musical comedy-drama centers around rock and roll culture in the 1960s. Hanks’ character Mr. White becomes manager of a pop band that has a one-hit wonder, and the story follows the band through its rise and fall, its highest points and its lowest lows.
That Thing You Do! is a cute, inside look at the makings of a pop band and the challenges they face. This starts from trying to make it big to actually succeeding, then struggling to keep momentum going in such a competitive business. Charming, light, and deeply funny (though it has dramatic moments as well), That Thing You Do! proved that Hanks is as talented behind the camera as he is in front of it.
That Thing You Do!
- Release Date
- October 4, 1996
- Director
- Tom Hanks
- Cast
- Tom Everett Scott , Liv Tyler , Johnathon Schaech , Steve Zahn , Ethan Embry , Tom Hanks
- Runtime
- 108
4 ‘Big’ (1988)
Directed by Penny Marshall
That scene with the giant piano has been replicated by adults and even kids today who might not even know from where it originates. Hanks shows his talent by taking on the persona of a child in this body-swap fantasy comedy-drama. He’s Josh Baskin, a young boy who desperately wants to be “big” so he makes a wish that it will happen, and it does. He is now trapped in the body of an adult (Hanks) but still has his sense of innocence and childlike wonder.
Every scene is hilarious as Hanks, as a 12-year-old boy in an adult’s body, tries to navigate life as a grown-up. From trying to convince his mother of what’s happening to inadvertently impressing the owner at iconic toy store FAO Schwarz so much that he’s hired and thrown into an important marketing campaign pitch meeting, Big leaves viewers in stitches. The kid-adult body swap concept has been done again and again since, but arguably none as wonderfully as Big.
Big
- Release Date
- June 3, 1988
- Director
- Penny Marshall
- Cast
- Tom Hanks , Elizabeth Perkins , Robert Loggia , John Heard , Jared Rushton , David Moscow , jon lovitz , Mercedes Ruehl
- Runtime
- 104 Minutes
3 ‘Toy Story’ (1995)
Directed by John Lasseter
While every installment in the growing Toy Story franchise is fabulous, none has such an impact as the original movie. The animated comedy centers around Andy (John Morris) and his collection of toys, which come to life whenever humans aren’t around. Woody (Hanks) is the leader, a classic cowboy doll toy, while Buzz Lightyear believes he’s the star since he’s a more modern, futuristic toy. The rivalry is heightened when Buzz becomes Andy’s new favorite toy and Woody seethes with jealousy.
The critically acclaimed movie hilariously plots the journey between these two central toys and their interactions with other toy friends, including Mr. Potato Head (Don Rickles), Hamm the piggy bank (John Ratzenberger), and porcelain doll Bo Peep (Annie Potts). The great thing about Toy Story is that while it’s a movie for kids, it’s the type of film that even parents will enjoy. There are clever and mature but still innocent jokes that go over kids’ heads, but parents will pick up on them.
Toy Story
- Release Date
- October 30, 1995
- Director
- John Lasseter
- Cast
- Tom Hanks , Tim Allen , Don Rickles , Jim Varney , Wallace Shawn , John Ratzenberger
- Runtime
- 81
2 ‘You’ve Got Mail’ (1998)
Directed by Nora Ephron
Another of Hanks’ iconic rom-coms and one of Meg Ryan’s best movies, and another that was written and directed by Nora Ephron, You’ve Got Mail involves modern technology for its time. Long before online dating was a “thing,” Joe Fox (Hanks) has begun an online flirtation with Kathleen Kelly (Ryan) but they have decided to keep things strictly digital. They don’t share details about their personal lives, but chat whenever they need someone. As fate would have it, however, Joe and Kathleen run into one another on more than one occasion, not realizing who the other is. It’s in these chance encounters that the plot becomes so funny because the two end up at odds with one another in the real world, bitter professional rivals.
From the flying insults to the slowly developing feelings and the overarching story of their conflicting professional lives, You’ve Got Mail is a cautionary tale about online dating. But it’s also a weirdly an inspirational one. Most important, however, it will keep you laughing at the irony of it all.
You’ve Got Mail
- Release Date
- February 26, 1998
- Director
- Nora Ephron
- Cast
- Tom Hanks , Meg Ryan , Katie Sagona , Greg Kinnear , Parker Posey , Jean Stapleton
- Runtime
- 119
1 ‘Catch Me If You Can’ (2002)
Directed by Steven Spielberg
Hanks and Leonardo DiCaprio are a match made in heaven in this biographical crime comedy-drama, a cat-and-mouse chase story based on the real life of Frank Abagnale Jr. He claims to have successfully conned people out of millions of dollars, pretending to be influential figures including everyone from a pilot for a major airline to a doctor and even a prosecutor. His purported story is delivered in entertaining style in Catch Me If You Can.
DiCaprio plays Abagnale Jr. in one of his best movies and Hanks is FBI agent Carl Hanratty, who becomes obsessed with catching Abagnale in the act. But each time he thinks he gets close, Abagnale is hilariously one step ahead of him, successfully conning himself into another situation, constantly skirting the law. It’s like a real-life episode of Tom & Jerry as the perpetrator runs while the good guy desperately tries to catch up, only to see him smile, wave, and keep going every time. Catch Me If You Can beautifully blends comedic elements with the more dramatic police chase story in a way that makes viewers oddly root for both sides.
Catch Me If You Can
- Release Date
- December 25, 2002
- Director
- Steven Spielberg
- Cast
- Leonardo DiCaprio , Tom Hanks , Christopher Walken , Martin Sheen , Nathalie Baye , Amy Adams , James Brolin , Brian Howe
- Runtime
- 141 Minutes
This article was originally published on collider.com