Tom Hanks is one of the few superstars to have stayed uncompromised at the top of Hollywood throughout the years and to have passed the test of time.
Nobody has a harsh word to say about Hollywood’s favorite “Mr Nice Guy.” He is a legend on the screen. He appears to be the nicest man in Hollywood off-screen; a great gentleman.
But did you know that Tom has had a “silent” illness for a long time?
Tom Hank, who played Forrest Gump, is just 66 years old, but it can be difficult to believe that given how long it seems like he’s been alive.
The two-time Academy Award-winning actor has developed a reputation as a fantastic performer as well as an all-around kind man who has never let fame and wealth get to him.
In addition to being a cultural giant, Hanks is referred to be “America’s Dad” and is constantly pictured showing generosity to his followers and others he encounters outside of Hollywood.
It becomes evident why Tom Hanks has kept both feet on the ground despite his brilliant job and the millions of dollars in his bank account if we look a bit closer at his childhood and upbringing.
Tom Hanks, who was born in Concord, California, did not exactly have a happy upbringing. He was a kid of divorce and had to travel around a lot growing up; Tom himself described his upbringing as nomadic.
Apparently, no one instructed him on how to wash his teeth, and Tom was frequently disregarded.
In an interview with Graham Bensinger, Tom said, “Maybe there was a degree of loneliness because really no one — I kind of like slipped between the cracks and didn’t really have people who were taking care of me.”
Tom lived in ten different homes by the time he reached ten. Tom was surrounded by stepbrothers and sisters who came and went since both of his parents had several relationships and had been remarried “three or four times.” He has said that he wouldn’t recognize some of them if he saw them now.
“When our parents got separated, our younger brother and three older children moved in with our mother and our father. We were afterwards led back and forth like a herd. I can recall instances when we all shared a bedroom at one point and a large, scattered home at another. Other times, we went years without speaking to one another,” Tom said.
Tom found that humor was the secret to surviving his tumultuous background. Every time he enrolled in a new school, he utilized it to gain acceptance.
“I was painfully, excruciatingly shy. I was also the one who would shout out amusing subtitles during film strips at the same time. I avoided trouble, though”, Tom said, “I was always a really decent child and quite responsible.”
When Tom initially arrived in New York in 1979, he was cast in He Knows You’re Alone, a low-budget “hack and slash” film that was fully filmed on Staten Island. Although the movie garnered generally unfavorable reviews, it was a monetary success and gave Tom, then 24 years old, a lot of opportunities.
Tom first attracted the attention of Hollywood and reviewers when he appeared in the 1980 sitcom Bossom Buddies, but many would argue that his big break came with the Ron Howard-directed fantasy romantic comedy Splash.
Before earning back-to-back Oscars and Golden Globes for his lead roles in Philadelphia and Forrest Gump in 1994 and 1995, he went on to star in Turner and Hooch and Sleepless in Seattle.
Tom was married to American actress Samantha Lewes when he first started performing. When Tom Hanks and Samantha got married when he was only 21 years old, their family grew quickly.
At first, Tom and Samantha were very in love and had a lot in common because Samantha had gone through a divorce. Tom said that his wife “had stories about having parents with plenty of marriages and divorce and all that can even beat mine.”
Tom and Samantha separated from one another after nine years of marriage. The couple’s difficult childhoods made the decision to file for divorce particularly difficult. Tom went through a particularly dark time and sought treatment three times each week to overcome his negative ideas. His divorce was “a tremendously traumatic moment loaded with emotion and unpleasant sentiments,” he has said in hindsight.
Tom believed he had failed as a parent, but once he met Rita Wilson, who would eventually become his wife, he began to feel differently.
“We got married, we made a commitment to one another, we adore one another, and we diligently work on our relationship… Not only do we love each other, but we also truly like each other, like spending time together, support one another, and maintain open lines of communication. That is always crucial.
When Wilson was given a breast cancer diagnosis in 2015, it was one of the most difficult moments in their relationship. Fortunately, it was caught early enough by the doctors that she could receive therapy. Tom Hanks was undoubtedly by her side at all times.
Sadly, this was not the first instance of cancer in Tom’s family. Samantha, his ex-wife, passed away at the young age of 50 following her own struggle with bone cancer.
Although Tom hasn’t personally experienced cancer, he does have another illness that has plagued him for a long time.
Furthermore, it’s difficult to detect because the condition isn’t very obvious.
The “silent” sickness has hampered Tom’s work and prompted him to decline some opportunities that would have necessitated significant physical modifications or the eating of particular meals. The Hollywood celebrity initially began to show signs of the illness in the early 1990s, but at the time, he was unaware of its nature.
The doctors eventually provided Tom with a response following examinations and testing. And in 2013, Tom came forward to share his type 2 diabetes diagnosis in the open.
The 66-year-old actor revealed during an appearance on The Late Show with David Letterman that he had diabetes mellitus, a condition in which the body does not create enough or react to insulin as it should, leading to abnormally high blood sugar levels. If your lifestyle and habits are not changed to accommodate your diabetes 2, it can have disastrous and even fatal effects.
One in ten Americans, or about 37 million people, have diabetes, and 90 to 95 percent of them have type 2 diabetes. Tom, however, claims that when he was diagnosed, he was surprised.
The Toy Star actor claims that the major causes of his disease are his lifestyle and a family history of diabetes. It wasn’t exactly optimal for him to eat anything he wanted due to his DNA.
Tom added, “I’m a member of the American generation that has been naively dancing through the party and now finds itself with a disease.”
“I weighed a lot. You have seen me in movies, therefore you are familiar with my appearance. I was a complete moron.”
Doctors recommended the beloved actor to maintain his weight from his adolescent years and thin down in order to put the sickness in remission. Medical professionals were upbeat, but Tom wasn’t so sure.
Then, he laughed, “I’m going to develop type 2 diabetes because there is no way I can weigh what I weighed in high school.”
Many of Tom’s admirers remarked on how fantastic he looked and how slim he was. I think he has obviously lost some weight!
The 66-year-old appears to work very hard to keep his weight in check; in addition, he works out to assist regulate his blood sugar levels.
“I make an effort to engage in one hour of activity every day.
“That may be anything from a treadmill to a walk or a hike with my dog, but it needs to be one hour every single day.”
Type 2 diabetes can lead to serious health issues like heart disease, renal disease, and stroke if it is not addressed. So, we’re hoping Tom Hanks can make the required lifestyle adjustments.
Please spread the word about this essay to honor a real Hollywood star who has maintained his modesty despite his enormous success.