Tom Hanks has remained unspoiled at the top of Hollywood and has endured the test of time.
Nobody can speak badly about Hollywood’s favourite “Mr Nice Guy.” He’s a legend on the big screen. Off-screen, he appears to be the most gentlemanly man in Hollywood.
But did you know Tom has been suffering from a “silent” illness for quite some time?
Tom Hanks, who played Forrest Gump, is just 66 years old, which is difficult to believe given how long he looks to have lived.
The two-time Academy Award winner is known as a fantastic performer and an all-around lovely guy who has never let fame or wealth get the best of him.
Hanks is renowned as “America’s Dad” and is routinely pictured showing compassion to his fans and everyone he meets outside of Hollywood.
When we look at Tom Hanks’ childhood and upbringing, we can see why he has kept both feet on the ground despite his remarkable career and millions of dollars in his bank account.
Tom Hanks grew up in Concord, California, and had a difficult upbringing.
As a child, he was divorced and had to move about a lot; Tom described his life as nomadic. No one ever taught Tom how to brush his teeth, and he was frequently ignored.
“Perhaps there was some loneliness because there was really no one — I kind of went between the gaps and didn’t really have somebody who were taking care of me,” Tom said in an interview with Graham Bensinger.
Tom had lived in 10 different houses before the age of eleven. Because both of his parents had several relationships and had remarried “three or four times,” Tom was constantly surrounded by stepbrothers and sisters who came and went. He added that he would not recognise some of them if he saw them now.
“When our parents divorced, our younger brother and three older siblings moved in with our mother and father. We were hustled back and forth after that. I recall sharing a bedroom at one point and a large, dispersed home at another. “We went years without speaking to each other at times,” Tom explained.
Tom learned that comedy was the key to surviving his difficult childhood.
“I was horribly, agonisingly shy.
I was also the one that shouted out funny subtitles when viewing cinema strips. “However, I managed to remain out of trouble.” “I was always a really charming and responsible child,” Tom recalls.
Tom was cast in He Knows You’re Alone, a low-budget “hack and slash” film shot entirely on Staten Island, when he first relocated to New York in 1979. Despite primarily unfavourable reviews, the picture was a financial success, giving Tom, then 24, countless opportunities.
Tom first gained notice from Hollywood and reviewers when he appeared in the 1980 sitcom Bosom Buddies. Nonetheless, many consider Splash his breakthrough film, directed by Ron Howard.
He went on to star in Turner and Sleepless in Seattle before winning back-to-back Oscars and Golden Globes in 1994 and 1995 for his lead roles in Philadelphia.
Tom was married to Samantha Lewes when he first started acting. When Tom Hanks and Samantha married at 21, their family snowballed.
Because Samantha had just divorced, Tom and Samantha were profoundly in love and shared many interests initially. “She had stories about parents who had many marriages and divorces and everything,” Tom noted.
Tom and Samantha decided to divorce after nine years of marriage. The couple’s decision to file for divorce was callous in light of their traumatic childhoods. Tom went through a difficult time and sought counselling three times a week to confront his wicked thoughts.
@tomhanks Married His High School #Sweetheart Samantha Lewes, With Whom He Had Two Kids, Although They Divorced After 9 years, Tom Still Cared For Her, So Much So, That After Lewes's #Cancer Diagnose, He Paid For All Her Medical Bills, But Sadly She Passed Away in 2002🙏 #Retweet pic.twitter.com/Ju0VzjHqWE
— Trading Blvd (@trading_blvd) April 21, 2019
He describes his divorce as “a tremendously tough affair loaded with emotion and unpleasant feelings” in retrospect.
Tom believed he had failed until he met Rita Wilson, who would later become his wife.
“We married, promised each other, adored each other, and worked hard on our relationship… We love each other and enjoy spending time together, supporting one another, and keeping open lines of communication. This is always important.
Wilson’s breast cancer diagnosis in 2015 was one of the most challenging times in their relationship.
Fortunately, the doctors caught it early enough for her to get therapy. Tom Hanks was unquestionably on her side at all times.
Unfortunately, Tom’s cancer diagnosis was not his first. Samantha, his ex-wife, died at 50 from bone cancer.
Tom has never had cancer, but he does have another ailment that has plagued him for a long time.
Furthermore, it is difficult to detect because the infection is not evident. Tom’s job has been hampered by the “silent” condition, which has forced him to pass up opportunities that would have needed significant physical modifications or the consumption of specific foods.
The actor first revealed indications of the ailment in the early 1990s, but he was unaware of its seriousness.
Tom came forward in 2013 to freely discuss his type 2 diabetes diagnosis.
On The Late Show with David Letterman, the 66-year-old actor revealed that he suffers from diabetes mellitus, a condition in which the body does not make or react to insulin as it should, resulting in abnormally high blood sugar levels. Diabetes 2 can be catastrophic and fatal if your lifestyle and habits are not changed to accommodate it.
Diabetes affects one out of every 10 Americans, or around 37 million people, with 90 to 95 per cent having type 2 diabetes. Tom, on the other hand, claims that his diagnosis surprised him.
The Toy Star actor claims that his diabetes is caused primarily by his lifestyle and a family history of the disease. It wasn’t optimal for him to eat whatever he wanted because of his DNA.
“I’m part of the American generation that was innocently dancing through the celebration and is now sick,” Tom concluded.
“I was a little hefty. “You’ve seen me in movies and are familiar with my appearance.” “I was a complete moron.”
Doctors recommended the beloved actor maintain his adolescent weight and slim down to put the illness on hold. Medical professionals were upbeat, but Tom was sceptical.
“I’m going to have type 2 diabetes because I can’t weigh the same as I did in high school,” he joked.
Many of Tom’s fans remarked on how slim and good he looked. He’s lost some weight!
The 66-year-old works exceptionally hard to keep his weight under control; he also exercises to assist in regulating his blood sugar levels. “I try to do one hour of activity every day,” she says. “It might be anything from a treadmill to a walk or hike with my dog, but it has to be one hour every day.”
Type 2 diabetes, if left untreated, can cause serious health concerns such as heart disease, renal failure, and stroke.
Please share this essay to honour an actual Hollywood celebrity who has maintained his modesty despite his enormous success. Best wishes, Mr Tom Hanks!
