Tom Hanks Reveals His 'Secret' for Staying Humble in Hollywood and Why He Despises The 'Mr. Nice Guy' Label — as He Celebrates 69th Birthday
Tom Hanks wants everyone to know he's just not a 'nice guy.'
July 10 2025, Published 6:00 p.m. ET
Tom Hanks has shared his secret to staying humble after decades of fame and confessed he's not a fan of being labeled the "nicest guy" in Hollywood, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
While a lot has changed for Hanks, who turned 69 on July 9, since he was first introduced to viewers on Happy Days and his breakthrough 1984 film, Splash, one thing has remained constant – his down-to-earth reputation.
Despite his movies grossing over $10billion at the box office and an estimated net worth of around $400million, Hanks has managed to live his life out of the spotlight and largely avoid scandals.
Hanks has remained humble despite massive success.
Even with two Oscar wins under his belt and numerous other accolades and nominations, the Forest Gump star still has the same thirst for acting as when he started.
As he reflected on his career in a previous 60 Minutes Australia interview, Hanks recalled his early days when he "wouldn't bat an eye when it came to throwing all my possessions in my car and driving across country to work for $250 a week."
He added he would still accept a low rate because acting is "the greatest job in the world."
Hanks said he’s 'a selfish actor' and just as 'competitive as anybody' in the industry.
Although he's earned the reputation of Mr. Nice Guy by fans, Hanks was quick to note: "I’m not a dope. I’m a selfish actor, and I’m as competitive as anybody. And I like to play the smartest guy in the room, even though I’m not."
In a surprising move, Hanks confessed in a separate interview that he doesn’t enjoy being characterized as a "nice guy" as much as the public would assume.
He explained: "You know, the thing I don’t like is that it communicates the idea that I’m not working very hard."
The movie star confessed he doesn’t like the 'nice guy' label because it comes off as not being a 'professional.'
He continued: "That it’s easy. When they say 'Oh, he's such a nice guy, it's such a nice movie, and he’s so likeable' that somehow means that I’m not a professional, that I don’t agonize over all of these things that I do.
"And I do. I mean, my life is just as complicated as anybody's, and sometimes it's hard to come to work in order to forage out this kind of stuff. We don’t kind of show up and blithely go lalalalala, then go skipping off to the bistro for spaghetti and coffee afterwards."
Despite his honest admission, Hanks said he does think he’s "a pleasant individual" and a "gentleman," which no doubt goes a long way among A-listers.
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Hanks and Rita Wilson have been married since 1988.
One important factor in Hanks' life keeping him grounded is his 37-year marriage to actress Rita Wilson.
He jokingly recalled one exchange with his wife: "So we went to high school at the same time, and I told her long ago, 'If you and I were in the same high school, I would not have had the courage to speak to you. Too vivacious, too beautiful, too popular, everything. Too upbeat, too positive.'
"And to her credit, my wife said, 'If we had gone to school at the same time, I would have had nothing to do with you.'"
The Cast Away star said he and Wilson are "blessed because we really like each other," adding: "We have this one thing that's absolutely perfect about our life together, our marriage."
